28th November 2023
A further 6,000 Staffordshire properties will be able to connect to ultrafast broadband speeds following a gigabit roll-out in the coming months.
As part of the national Project Gigabit programme, residents and businesses in the north-east of the county currently without gigabit speeds will be able to get connected. Broadband provider Connect Fibre won the contract to undertake the roll-out.
The government’s £5billion Project Gigabit programme aims to enable hard-to-reach communities in mainly rural and semi-rural areas to access ultrafast broadband speeds. It aims to ensure 85 per cent of UK properties can connect to gigabit capable speeds (1,000mbps) by 2025.
People can find out more about the programme locally by visiting the county council’s Gigafast Staffordshire website.
Superfast Staffordshire, which started in 2013 helped to enable 97 per cent of county properties to broadband speeds of at least 24mbps. Now the focus is to deliver gigabit capable access (1000mbps) across Staffordshire by 2030. Three-quarters of county residents and businesses already have access to these gigabit services.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for environment, infrastructure and climate change Simon Tagg said:
Access to gigabit capable broadband speeds is essential to our communities and businesses and so it’s excellent to see this reach extended by Connect Fibre through Project Gigabit.
Faster broadband improves everyone’s day-to-day living, enabling people to access health, education, banking and leisure services and more. It is also critical for business operations, growth and increased productivity.
Our Superfast Staffordshire programme was a huge success and made a real difference over the last decade - now gigabit capable connection is the next step."
Connect Fibre chief executive Stefan Stanislawski said:
Connect Fibre is incredibly proud and honoured to be awarded the Project Gigabit contract to deliver full fibre broadband to the Staffordshire Moorlands and beyond. Delivering real, reliable broadband will change the lives of people living in rural areas and the region as a whole.
With our smart farming programme and free gigabit connections for community learning and library sites, our commitment to supporting the community goes beyond just broadband.
We are excited to embark on this journey and look forward to witnessing the positive impact it will have on residents in the region."
Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, Sir John Whittingdale, said:
Lightning-fast gigabit broadband will make sure households don't have to deal with slow internet anymore, and businesses can get more done without problems from old-fashioned copper networks. That's why we're investing billions in upgrading local networks through our £5 billion Project Gigabit investment.
In Staffordshire communities, thousands of residents will experience the benefit of high-speed connectivity - supporting business operations, fostering growth, and boosting productivity.
Work will now begin in these areas and by cultivating the fastest connections, we are not just addressing current needs but positioning the UK for a future where our broadband infrastructure remains resilient for decades to come.”
