GoFibre’s full fibre broadband network is now available to more than 800 hard-to-reach homes and businesses in an area of Teesdale in the North East as the first phase of the broadband network build completes under the UK government’s Project Gigabit programme.
GoFibre, which was awarded the £6.6m contract last Autumn, commenced construction of the broadband network in April after a six-month period of surveying and planning with Durham County Council and the government’s executive agency Building Digital UK (BDUK).
As part of this first phase of the network build, 885 homes and businesses in Barnard Castle, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Winston can now access and benefit from the best broadband speeds and reliability available, through the new full fibre broadband network, with the first connections to GoFibre customers being made in the last few weeks.
Construction of the network in Teesdale will be continuing until 2025 as GoFibre makes its way across the area. Once complete, more than 4,000 local residents and businesses will be able to access gigabit-capable broadband.
Lightning-fast and fit for the future, gigabit-capable networks allow communities to upload and download data with none of the disruptions associated with ageing copper networks. More than half of UK households (52%) now have access to full fibre services, but these are most common in urban areas which is why the government is investing £5bn to connect hard-to-reach places that might otherwise miss out.
The implementation of GoFibre’s network in rural Teesdale is the initial step in helping to tackle the digital divide across Northern England.
Neil Conaghan, chief executive officer at GoFibre, said: “It is with great pleasure that we announce the first customers have been connected to our full fibre broadband network in Teesdale.
“Through our partnership with the UK government and Durham County Council, the completion of this first phase marks a significant step forward in our aim to close the digital divide across rural areas.
“To any locals or businesses interested in learning more about how our network can benefit them, please do get in touch or register. We appreciate your patience during the ongoing construction and are excited to continue to bring the benefits of full fibre connectivity to even more homes and businesses in Teesdale.”
Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, Sir John Whittingdale, added: “I’m delighted to see the first local residents in Teesdale being able to plug into the fastest broadband speeds on the market thanks to our Project Gigabit investment.
“Working with GoFibre, we are set to deliver next generation broadband to thousands more homes and businesses from Barnard Castle to West Auckland, ensuring people have access to the fastest connections fit for the future.”
GoFibre is also working with BDUK and Northumberland County Council to construct a new full fibre network in North Northumberland.
