Connect Fibre in £16.5 million contract for gigabit broadband in North East Staffordshire

We’ll set an alarm for early Sunday morning, since with Saturday bringing three Project Contract signings there may be more on Sunday.

Connect Fibre has been awarded a contract with a value of £16.5 million to deliver a gigabit capable service to 6,000 hard to reach premises in North East Staffordshire.

Indication of the areas of North East Staffordshire where Connect Fibre will deliver Gigabit capable broadband

The first properties are expected to go live in 2025, but people may spot work starting late in 2024. The area looks to the gaps between the main areas of Stoke-on-Trent, Leek and Rugeley to the south.

The footprint we know about for Connect Fibre broadband is a lot further east, e.g. Bolsover and this contract is a bigger amount of work compared to the other Gigaclear contracts awarded today. With contracts like this wholesale access has to be offered, so it will be interesting to see which retailers sign-on.

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.

Work will now begin in these areas covering around 16,000 properties and by facilitating the fastest connections, we are not just reaping the benefits now but positioning the UK for a future where our broadband infrastructure remains resilient for decades to come.

Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, Sir John Whittingdale

In terms of the Government’s 85% Gigabit coverage target the current projection is September 2024 and this presumes that the increase in Gigabit coverage seen in the last nine months is maintained. While there is no individual dates set for the various nations of the UK, its worth highlighting the variation we are seeing:

• UK prediction for 85% Gigabit coverage September 2024
• England 85% prediction is August 2024
• Scotland 85% prediction is September 2025
• Wales 85% prediction is June 2026
• Northern Ireland has already hit 85% Gigabit back in March 2022

This variation is going to get even wider the further you sub-divide the UK, for example Stirling local authority based on what we’ve seen in the last nine months is more than 15 years away from reaching 85% Gigabit coverage. Stirling itself is very well covered with a combination of CityFibre, Openreach and nexfibre full-fibre but it is those harder to reach properties outside the urban areas making the council look bad overall.