Posted on Tuesday 19th November 2024
Simon Tagg
Staffordshire is set for a major digital boost as more than 11,000 homes and businesses gain access to full fibre broadband.
Thanks to a new phase of the government’s Project Gigabit programme, a new fibre network will be built in the next couple of years, connecting rural parts of Staffordshire to gigabit-capable broadband speeds.
Staffordshire County Council is supporting the programme through its own Gigafast Staffordshire initiative, which is already helping 82 per cent of county homes and businesses access gigabit speeds, and this latest phase will ensure even more residents can unlock the full potential of ultrafast connectivity
It’ll transform how residents live, work, and do things online in places that might not have been connected easily.
This includes groups of homes and businesses in Pattingham and Acton Trussell (South Staffordshire), Colton and Elford (Lichfield), Swynnerton in Stafford Borough and Baldwins Gate and Whitmore (Newcastle-under-Lyme).
Project Gigabit is the government’s rollout of lightning-fast, reliable broadband across the UK. The programme targets homes and businesses that are not included in broadband companies’ commercial plans, reaching parts of the country that would otherwise miss out.
Openreach, which has more than 3,000 engineers working in the region, has been chosen to build the new network. The work complements a £16.5 million Project Gigabit contract awarded to Connect Fibre last year, which is already providing Project Gigabit services in northeast Staffordshire and set to benefit up to 5,900 hard-to-reach premises. First customer connections on the northeast Staffordshire project should be deployed by the end of 2024.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for environment, infrastructure and climate change Simon Tagg said:
Access to gigabit capable broadband speeds is essential to our communities and businesses and so it’s excellent to see this reach extended by Openreach 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 is also critical for business operations, growth and increased productivity.
Our Superfast Staffordshire programme was a huge success and made a real difference over the last decade - now gigabit capable connection is the next step.”
Openreach’s own full fibre build has reached more than 250,000 homes and businesses across Staffordshire and 1.5 million in the wider West Midlands region.
Kasam Hussain, Openreach’s regional partnership director, said:
We’re pleased to be bringing this important connectivity in Staffordshire, not only delivering faster speeds but also ensuring that homes and businesses across the region can enjoy seamless, reliable and uninterrupted connectivity, even during peak times.
This infrastructure will play a crucial role in supporting future growth, innovation, and improving the quality of life for everyone for generations to come.”
Full fibre broadband offers more than just fast downloads and better streaming. Connections are more stable during peak times and have reducing buffering and dropouts. This reliability is vital for families, remote workers, and businesses that depend on seamless online access.
Telecoms Minister Chris Bryant said:
This major deal under Project Gigabit will deliver lightning-fast, ultra-reliable internet to hard-to-reach areas across the county.
The rollout will be a game changer for local communities – making it easier to stay in touch, log on at work or school, and support our mission to kickstart economic growth and maximise opportunities across UK.”
For Staffordshire, this means continued investment in digital infrastructure that ensures residents aren’t left behind in an increasingly connected world.