- Thanks to the Conservative Government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit, national coverage of gigabit-capable broadband has increased from seven per cent to 70 per cent in three years, with more than 20 million households and businesses now able to tap into rapid and reliable internet.
- New figures show that all regions of the UK will benefit from faster and more reliable broadband–meaning that those living and working in rural areas can enjoy 21st Century speeds–making their lives easier and more productive, levelling up every corner of the UK.
- Delivering on better broadband access across the country will ensure no town or village is left behind – accessing the opportunities that digital growth creates.
- The regional procurement for Cumbria is in the final stage of evaluation and the Government expects to award the contract in September.
New figures show that gigabit broadband is now available for 70 per cent of homes and businesses across the UK, thanks to the Conservative Government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit, connecting rural towns and villages with lightning-fast broadband speeds.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, has welcomed the news that 65.87 per cent of homes and businesses across the North West will now have access to rapid and reliable internet while also acknowledging more needs to be done in rural Cumbria. Something he has consistently pushed for in Parliament.
This represents a huge rise since the General Election in 2019 when gigabit coverage stood at just 7 per cent. This is demonstrating levelling up in action with a total of nearly 20million premises connected since 2019, and turbocharged progress by industry towards the government’s target of 85 per cent coverage by 2025.
Dr Neil Hudson has made boosting digital connectivity a cornerstone of his campaigning since being elected and has repeatedly pledged to do all in his power to try to make sure even the most remote Cumbrian villages get the fastest possible speeds. In response, the Government are already begun to provide bespoke solutions to millions across rural England.
Moreover, Cumbrian villages such as Kirkoswald and Brough have already taken advantage of Project Gigabit with hundreds of households better connected locally.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
“I congratulate the Conservative Government for the progress being made across the country rolling out gigabit broadband thanks to a mammoth £5 million investment. This is levelling up in action and from meeting with and talking to people across the constituency I realise just how important digital connectivity is to unlocking our rural economic potential and creating opportunities.
“Clearly, here in Penrith and The Border we still face significant hurdles in connecting our more hard-to-reach communities, and I know many people have suffered with poor connections for too long. With that said, we’ve had some great success stories already with the likes of Kirkoswald and Brough now benefitting from lightning-fast speeds, and this month the Government is set to award a contract to continue the gigabit rollout in Cumbria.
“In the meantime, I want to assure constituents that I will continue to bang the drum for them in Westminster on this issue as I have done since being elected.”
In the last five months alone, one million premises have been connected to gigabit networks nationally, a phenomenal achievement given the first million premises took more than eight years to connect. The rate at which gigabit-capable internet connections are installed has increased threefold, ensuring more homes and businesses do not have to wait to have access to the internet speeds they need
The announcement coincides with the Government awarding its first Project Gigabit contract in rural Dorset.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries, who joined Dr Hudson in Kirkoswald earlier this year to install new lighting-fast broadband, said:
“Today we enter an exciting new phase of our £5 billion Project Gigabit digital connectivity programme by signing our first major contract in Dorset.
“Thousands of hard-to-reach homes and businesses in the region will get access to faster connections and join the 20 million properties we’ve helped connect over the last three years.
“The benefits of better broadband connectivity cannot be underestimated, and this work will mean those living in rural areas can enjoy 21st century speeds in the home and workplace, making their lives easier and more productive.”
