Full fibre broadband to revolutionise connectivity for over 17,000 rural Derbyshire premises

This substantial investment is set to revolutionise the digital landscape in Derbyshire, unlocking new opportunities for residents and businesses alike through high-speed, full fibre broadband.

Awarded under the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit, the contract will allow the area to enjoy the benefits of Connect Fibre’s ethos of ‘faster, fairer, flawless’ broadband. Project Gigabit focuses on bringing lightning-fast broadband to rural communities across the UK that are typically out of reach of the digital connectivity they need. This government investment will represent a significant step towards a digitally inclusive Derbyshire.

Connect Fibre will be delivering a gigabit-capable, full fibre infrastructure across harder-to-reach parts of Derbyshire. Residents of these areas, previously plagued by poor connectivity, will be able to take advantage of fast and reliable broadband capabilities, opening up a wealth of economic and educational opportunities in the process.

Work will start imminently to survey over 17,000 premises in rural villages and communities across the county, with spades in the ground expected to start mid-2024, and the first premises expected to be connected in 2025.

Connect Fibre is dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of this investment reach every corner of the community. Community outreach programmes will be implemented, and people in the area will also benefit from digital training, giving locals of all ages the knowledge to utilise full fibre effectively.

This initiative is anticipated to stimulate economic growth and community empowerment in the region. Local people will benefit from Connect Fibre’s commitment to develop community initiatives, including free gigabit connections for Derbyshire community learning and library sites, as well as offering free practical support for courses and IT buddy programmes. The broadband provider will also support local businesses to ensure they’re maximising the transformative potential of high-speed connectivity.

Connect Fibre CEO, Stefan Stanislawski, said:

“Connect Fibre is thrilled to be awarded the Project Gigabit contract to bring full fibre broadband to hard-to-reach parts of Derbyshire. We’re big believers in the transformative power of reliable broadband and are honoured to be delivering to homes and businesses that need it most.

"Our commitment to connecting rural communities doesn’t stop at providing broadband, but extends into empowering homes and businesses with everything they need to thrive in today’s digital world. We are excited to get started on this journey and to see the life-changing impact it will have on Derbyshire residents.”

Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, Sir John Whittingdale, said:

“Thousands of homes and businesses in rural Derbyshire, from Eckington to Hulland Ward are set to experience lightning-fast broadband - fit for the future.

“Through our flagship Project Gigabit programme, we’re investing billions to make sure hard-to-reach communities like these get access to the transformative gigabit connectivity they deserve.”

Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said:

“It’s great news that more than 17,000 Derbyshire homes and businesses will benefit from this latest roll-out of next generation broadband through Project Gigabit.

“Faster broadband improves everyone’s day-to-day living, enabling people to access health, education, banking and leisure services and more. It’s also critical for business operations, growth and increased productivity.

“This £33m investment by Government will increase speed and reliability in the network for these communities which is critical to levelling up these hard-to-reach communities, particularly in rural areas of our county, where commercial funding alone is insufficient to secure the money necessary to make this build happen.”

About Connect Fibre

Founded in 2019, Connect Fibre is a community-minded full fibre network operator and broadband provider, on a mission to bring fast, reliable, and affordable full fibre broadband technology to the communities that need it. Priding themselves on building a high-class, quality, full fibre broadband infrastructure, their mantra is to provide ‘faster, fairer, flawless’ broadband to homes in the areas they serve. Supporting local communities is high on Connect Fibre’s agenda, prioritising local recruitment, investing in community and charity groups at a hyper-local level, and offering a 150Mbps social tariff to allow accessibility of a premium service at a fair price.

Connect Fibre’s network currently covers selected areas in Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire.

About Project Gigabit

Project Gigabit is the government’s flagship £5 billion programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband.

The fast, reliable connections delivered by Project Gigabit will level-up mostly rural and remote communities across the UK, as well as tackling pockets of poor connectivity in urban areas. Project Gigabit will grow the economy, with new digital infrastructure delivering better-paid jobs and creating opportunity right across the country.

Having the fastest broadband means households no longer have to battle over bandwidth, people enjoy the freedom to live and work more flexibly, businesses increase their productivity, and vital public services thrive.