TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Security
  • More Topics
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • |
  • About
  • Contact
  • |
  • Connect with us
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research & Innovation
  • Security
  • Connect with TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

Access Evolution

Access Evolution

UK government fleshes out its Project Gigabit plans

Ray Le Maistre
By Ray Le Maistre

Aug 2, 2021

  • UK government provides update on plan to take Gigabit broadband to most UK homes
  • Timelines and geographic areas are identified for fibre rollout contract awards
  • But uncertainty remains as numbers may yet still change

The UK government has provided an update on its Project Gigabit initiative to ensure that very high-speed fixed broadband connections are available to most people in “hard-to-reach areas” by detailing the rollout plans for 26 counties across England.

The government says an additional 1.85 million premises will have access to Gigabit broadband by 2025 as a result of the Project, which has a headline investment figure of £5 billion attached to it but for which a vast majority of the funding has not been guaranteed as previously reported. 

The contracts for the state-funded fibre access network rollouts will be awarded in phases, with “almost half a million (480,000) premises in Shropshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Worcestershire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will be among the first to benefit followed by counties including Derbyshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Surrey, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.” 

But the government continues to swathe the project in doubt, as it points out in the footnotes to its extensive and self-congratulatory announcement that the number of premises to be passed by Project Gigabit fibre could “change significantly leading up to commencement of the procurement process,” a clause that does not exactly inspire confidence, especially as the original target for UK gigabit broadband coverage was for every home in the nation by 2025, but that was quickly reneged by Prime Minister Boris Johnson once it became clear that such a target was not feasible (but by that time he moved the goalposts he had been elected, so the overambitious initial promise had served its purpose…)  

Despite the uncertainty, news that a detailed timeline for contract awards, and the scope of the rollouts in each region, will be encouraging for the growing number of broadband network builders now active across the UK – and that number is growing all the time, as we pointed out recently. Many of the fibre broadband challengers, especially those that have a regional focus, will be hoping to get a share of the spoils as the contracts are awarded. (See The rise of the UK fibre broadband altnet.)

For the full list of network procurements and contract start dates, see this announcement from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV

Related Topics
  • Access Evolution,
  • Analysis & Opinion,
  • Broadband,
  • Europe,
  • FTTx,
  • Government,
  • News,
  • Telco & CSP

More Like This

5G Evolution

What’s up with… Samsung, M&A in Canada, Orange and Telenet

Jan 30, 2023

Access Evolution

Most complained-about telecoms and pay-TV providers revealed

Jan 30, 2023

Access Evolution

Orange Belgium and Telenet sign two commercial wholesale agreements providing access to each other’s Hybrid Fiber Coaxial and Fiber to the Home networks

Jan 30, 2023

Access Evolution

Mobile backhaul transport market forecast to grow to $5.3bn by 2025, according to Dell’Oro Group

Jan 27, 2023

5G Evolution

Elisa’s Financial Statements Release 2022

Jan 27, 2023

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

0:46

The Cloud Native Telco Summit returns this September!

8:32

Azita Arvani on Being a Female Leader at Rakuten Symphony

16:19

AT&T Amy Zwarico on securing telco applications in the public cloud

1:44

Join us for the greatest industry debate of the year!

TelecomTV
Company
  • About Us
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
Our Brands
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • Great Telco Debate
  • TelecomTV Events
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070
Connect With Us
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal Notices
  • Help

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media.

© Decisive Media Limited 2023. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).