Work has started to connect tens of thousands of people living and working in rural Cumbria to enhanced broadband as part of a £100 million government investment.
Around 60,000 premises in the county will be connected to the fastest broadband on the market after Belfast-based supplier Fibrus signed the largest contract yet under the government’s Project Gigabit programme.
Project Gigabit is the biggest broadband roll out in British history, with £5 billion invested to deliver faster connections to hard-to-reach areas that would otherwise have missed out.
Installation work is already underway in the region, with the first gigabit connections expected by the spring.
Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), said:
“We’re steaming ahead with our plan to level up internet speeds across Cumbria, which will see the biggest investment to date from the government’s Project Gigabit – the biggest broadband roll out in British history.
“Tens of thousands of rural homes and businesses will be able to plug into faster connections in the new network, allowing Cumbrian communities to take full advantage of the endless benefits lightning-fast broadband has to offer.”
Dominic Kearns, CEO of Fibrus, said:
“Fibrus considers it a privilege to deliver a transformative project for Cumbria which will change the lives of people living in rural and regional areas.
“Fibrus is committed to supporting local communities, ensuring any work undertaken in our name supports apprenticeships and allows more people to reap the benefits of full fibre.”
