Northumberland has been selected as one of the first counties in England to benefit from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) first phase of the £5 billion Project Gigabit. The project aims to provide next generation gigabit broadband to hard to reach homes and businesses by 2025.
The Council are working with DCMS and telecoms providers to thoroughly research and map the county for its existing and future broadband infrastructure, which will help us identify hard to reach premises for commencement of works in 2022.
We cannot advise yet which areas will be covered or who the suppliers will be, but we will be working closely with DCMS to ensure that the right areas are targeted. This may not always mean full-fibre connectivity, but could involve alternative technologies for the hardest to reach areas (e.g. fixed wireless), as long as the technology is gigabit capable.
The Government is calling for evidence on how to connect the Very Hardest to Reach Premises in the country. We would be grateful if you could share this online survey with your residents and businesses to help gather information about connectivity needs, benefits and barriers for your area. Deadline is 11 June.