Homes and businesses in some of the country’s hardest to reach rural communities are now enjoying ultra-fast broadband thanks to Project Gigabit – the UK Government initiative to boost connectivity.
Among the first communities to benefit are Lacock and Broad Hinton in Wiltshire; Dane End in Hertfordshire; Castle Caereinion and Llanwrin in Powys; and Meeth in Devon.
Delivered by a contract with Openreach, Project Gigabit aims to upgrade 290,000 homes and businesses in places that would otherwise have been left behind by private companies.
Katie Milligan, Deputy CEO of Openreach said: “Bringing full fibre broadband to the UK’s most remote and rural homes is a monumental achievement. These communities have faced connectivity challenges for far too long, but our partnership with Project Gigabit is changing that.
“We want to make sure that every corner of the UK has access to the fastest and most reliable broadband technology, so this is just the beginning. We’re continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of what’s possible as we want no community to be left behind.”
Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “I’m delighted to see the first premises successfully connected thanks to this landmark contract with Openreach, which will see some 290,000 homes and businesses connected in some of the hardest-to-reach places in the UK.
“Poor connectivity has kept rural communities back for too long, but through Project Gigabit we’re removing barriers to opportunity and bringing fast, reliable broadband to homes and businesses that need it most.”