£800 Million Investment to Modernize Rural Broadband Infrastructure
The UK government has announced a substantial investment of up to £800 million to modernize broadband infrastructure in rural areas across England, Scotland, and Wales. This significant initiative aims to address connectivity challenges for approximately 300,000 homes and businesses by providing access to lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband.
The investment will benefit areas such as the South Wales Valleys, Exmoor National Park, and the Forest of Bow land, bringing high-speed connectivity to communities that have historically struggled with poor broadband access. Negotiations are currently underway with Open reach to finalize further contracts that could extend these benefits to an additional 215,800 premises across the three nations.
This initiative forms part of the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit scheme, which aims to accelerate the UK’s economic recovery by boosting high-growth sectors like technology and the creative industries. The scheme has already seen substantial progress, with over £2.2 billion invested in contracts to deliver gigabit broadband upgrades to communities throughout the UK.