Government names 13 areas to receive £95m for full-fibre broadband projects

A total of 13 areas across the UK are set to benefit from the first allocation of funding from the Government’s £190m Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN), the Chancellor announced in his first Spring Statement.

Armagh City, (including Banbridge & Craigavon), Belfast, Blackpool, Cambridgeshire, Cardiff, Coventry (including Solihull & Warwickshire), The Highlands, London, Manchester, Mid Sussex, North Yorkshire, Portsmouth and Wolverhampton have been named as the bidders for the £95m funding.

Whilst 95% of UK premises can now get superfast broadband, only 3% have access to gigabit-capable full fibre infrastructure.

The LFFN programme aims to leverage local and commercial investment in full fibre across the whole of the UK.

The programme will do this through funding a series of projects that seek to stimulate the market by making the deployment of gigabit-capable full fibre infrastructure more commercially viable.

The projects include using hospitals, health centres and GP surgeries as “anchor tenants” - providing a full-fibre “hub” which surrounding homes and businesses can then also be connected to; upgrading schools, libraries and emergency response buildings to gigabit-capable full fibre connections; and strategic re-purposing of existing infrastructure, allowing full fibre to be rolled out at a fraction of what it would otherwise cost.

In addition, it will also create “fibre spines” along major transport routes and public building networks. These extend a supplier’s fibre footprint, making full fibre connections more available to surrounding homes and businesses.

Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon - £2.4m; Belfast - £11.5m; Blackpool - £3.0m; Cambridgeshire - £4.0m; Cardiff - £6.0m; Coventry, Solihulll & Warwick - £5.7m; Highlands - £4.5m; London - £8.5m; Manchester - £23.8m; Mid Sussex - £2.2m; Portsmouth - £3.9m; North Yorkshire (NYNet) - £15.1m; Wolverhampton - £4.9m

The LFFN programme is part of the government’s £31bn National Productivity Investment Fund aimed at improving productivity.

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