Major broadband upgrade for thousands of rural properties to £43m of UK Government funding

Thousands of people across rural parts of Oxfordshire and North East Staffordshire are set to benefit from new lightning-fast broadband thanks to £43m of UK Government funding, in a move to tackle the long-term challenges facing hard-working people and businesses in the UK.

Backed by £26.5m, around 10,000 homes and businesses in rural Oxfordshire communities including Stoke Row, Somerton and North Aston will benefit from fast and reliable broadband connections. Meanwhile, £16.5m will see around 6,000 rural properties in North East Staffordshire including Longnor, Marchington and Alstonefield receive internet speeds more than 30 times faster than superfast broadband.

With gigabit-capable broadband, these households will no longer have to struggle with limited bandwidth, and businesses will be able to improve their productivity with none of the disruptions associated with ageing copper networks, helping to build a more dynamic economy that delivers prosperity across every corner of the country.

Having the fastest connections also means the UK is fit-for-the-future, with broadband infrastructure designed to deliver for people’s needs for decades to come.

The investment forms part of the government’s £5bn Project Gigabit, which aims to ensure people have the same access to high-speed broadband wherever they live, work and study. From the Midlands to the South East of England, work will now get underway to survey thousands of premises in rural villages and communities, with spades in the ground expected by Spring next year.

Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, Sir John Whittingdale, said: “We want to make sure that no matter where you live or work, everyone has access to reliable internet which is why we’re spending billions to upgrade local networks.

“In rural Oxfordshire and North East Staffordshire, thousands will experience the positive impact fast and reliable broadband has as their connectivity improves, supporting households and businesses, fostering growth and boosting productivity.”

Rural full fibre provider Gigaclear will roll out high-speed connectivity to premises across North and South Oxfordshire including in Nettlebed and Fritwell in a bid to transform broadband speeds and reliability for local residents.

In a boost for local schools and colleges as part of the investment, Gigaclear has committed to providing skills workshops and apprenticeship programmes to a diverse range of applicants in the local community to help them kick start a career in the telecoms industry.

Today’s announcement builds on work Gigaclear has already delivered in the area, connecting 25 vital public service buildings including schools, health centres, libraries and fire stations to gigabit-capable networks as part of the government’s Project Gigabit GigaHubs programme.

Working in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, the high-speed connectivity will help improve the delivery of public services across the county. For example, GPs will be able to provide remote video consultations and whole classes of schoolchildren can be online at once with no interruptions.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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