by Rural areas in Cornwall are to get fast ‘gigabit-capable broadband’ thanks to a multi-million pound investment. The new broadband means homes could download a high-definition movie in under a minute.
Rural homes and businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will gain access to gigabit-capable broadband following the government’s third major investment in the county through its £5 billion Project Gigabit programme. Local company Wildanet has been awarded a £41 million contract to roll out new connections to over 16,800 homes and businesses.
The locations are East Cornwall, West Cornwall and the Isle of Mary in the Isles of Scilly. It follows a £36 million government investment in 2023 when Wildanet awarded two contracts to connect up to 19,250 homes and businesses in South West and Mid Cornwall.
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The announcement, made today (Wednesday) joins the areas already being delivered by Wildanet and takes Project Gigabit’s total investment in Cornwall to £74 million – targeting more than 37,000 premises. Towns and villages to benefit from the latest stretch of funding from Bude to Looe in the east of the county, and from Portrath to the River Helford in the west.
Initial work on network planning and surveys will begin soon and installation works are expected to begin in Autumn 2024. Gigabit-capable broadband is capable of delivering speeds of up to 1,000 megawatts (or one gigabit) per seconds – up to 30 times faster than superfast connections that rely on traditional copper cables.
Gigabit speeds mean families can download a high-definition movie in under a minute, stream and download entertainment and shop online across several different devices at the same time. Project Gigabit is the UK Government’s flagship program to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.
It targets homes and businesses that are not included in the commercial plans of broadband providers. The aim is to reach parts of the UK that might otherwise miss out on digital connectivity, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.
Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said: “The Government is promising gigabit broadband for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly lightning fast connectivity for remote communities, making tasks such as uploading files and streaming content faster and more reliably, and at the same time same as boosting local businesses and encouraging new ones. employment opportunities. This is the third multi-million dollar investment we have awarded to Wildanet to provide better broadband to the region, demonstrating our commitment to giving rural communities the digital infrastructure they need to thrive in today’s digital world.”
Helen Wylde-Archibald, Chief Executive Officer of Wildanet, said: “The latest investment through Project Gigabit and the award of this contract is great news for Cornwall and its many remote and hard-to-reach communities. It will help close the digital divide, correcting the historic imbalance in rural broadband provision and supporting the Government’s ambition to grow the economy by rolling out world-class digital infrastructure.
“People living and working in Cornwall will also benefit from all the social and financial benefits that digital inclusion brings, such as digital health, the internet of things, distance learning and the creation of additional jobs through remote working. Wildanet is extremely proud to be playing a key role in such an important initiative and we are committed to delivering the best possible outcome for the people of Wales and the South West of England and repaying the trust placed in us by the Government.”
Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for the economy, Cllr Louis Gardner, said: “This is great news for Cornwall. Thousands of rural properties stand to benefit from better and faster internet speeds. Our residents can benefit from better connectivity which will open up a wider range of educational and employment opportunities. This new digital infrastructure will help communities connect and thrive.”
Following the initial £36 million Project Gigabit investment in Cornwall announced last year, Wildanet is already well on its way to connecting hard-to-reach rural communities in South West and Mid Cornwall. Householders in Mullion (South West Cornwall) and Lanivet (in central Cornwall) were among the first 1,000 homes to see the new service go live, instantly transforming their internet connectivity after years of put up with slow speeds.
Ellen Morris, who lives in the village of Lanivet, Cornwall, with her partner Michael and their two-and-a-half-year-old son, said the new broadband service had been transformative for the family: “We were getting a 30 to Previously 40Mbps over copper wires but with fiber we are now getting speeds of around 200Mbps. More than that, the new service is more reliable and provides full coverage within our home, whereas before we were pretty much limited to the front room for good internet.
“It means we can use laptops, smart TV and streaming services in every part of the house; we don’t have to worry about how many devices are connected either, it handles it all brilliantly. And we look forward to being able to get some cover out in the garden during the summer.
“My partner is self-employed and has to file regular returns with HMRC, including uploading documents and receipts to the HMRC website. Our old upload service could take up to 15 minutes but now they are completed in seconds and the stability of the service makes it much easier to complete online forms and file this information.
“He’s made a big difference for us. My father and uncle live in the same village and have also signed up for the service and some of our friends and neighbors are also transferring.”
For more information about this project, please visit www.wildanet.com/projectgigabit.
