Over £1 billion awarded to roll out lightning-fast broadband in hard to reach towns and villages

The government’s rollout of next-generation broadband is steaming ahead with around £1.1 billion in contracts now signed to connect 677,000 rural homes and businesses across England.

Six new contracts worth more than £450 million were announced on the 6th February, allowing suppliers to immediately begin detailed surveying work to connect around 236,000 premises across England, with the first premises expected to be connected in early 2025.

The upgrades will help grow the economy, create jobs and deliver long-term change for a brighter future by making it easier to set up a business, and giving rural communities access to networks designed to meet people’s needs for decades to come as the demand for fast connections continue to rise.