More than 2,500 homes and businesses in Teesdale can now benefit from full fibre broadband, as Project Gigabit reaches its first milestone in County Durham.
Project Gigabit
Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion infrastructure programme, to enable rural communities outside of any commercial plans to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband. GoFibre were awarded a £6.6m government contract in to deliver full fibre broadband to areas of Teesdale. County Durham are at the forefront of the project with GoFibre’s contract being the second awarded in the UK by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Completion of the first phase of the rollout sees premises in Barnard Castle, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Winston get access to this next generation technology.
Durham County Council’s Digital Durham team have been working closely with government agency Building Digital UK (BDUK) that oversees Project Gigabit, and GoFibre to support the rollout which is expected to continue into 2025.
A speedy service
Michael Wylie was one of the first Teesdale residents to benefit from this new network.
“I first noticed GoFibre when their vans appeared in the area and Kyle [a GoFibre representative] came to visit us and explained what they were able to offer us. We did an internet speed test and discovered I was only getting 1.6 Megabits per second (Mbps) with my old provider.”
GoFibre said they could offer Michael speeds of up to 60 times the service he was getting, so he signed up on the spot. He later attended a community event at Scarth Hall in Staindrop to find out more. He said: “As trustees of Scarth Hall we went along and discussed what was going on with Durham County Council staff and GoFibre sales and engineering staff. This only strengthened our resolve to take up what was being offered.”
Michael continued: “Having good internet access is vital in supporting the voluntary work we carry out. As chair of Scarth Hall, it is important that I am able to contact outside bodies such as the charity commission, licensing authority etc when needed.”
The speed and reliability of full fibre broadband were the main motivators for Michael, but he was also impressed by the service GoFibre offered to the local people. Something which he has continued to be impressed by. “I have contacted GoFibre a few times to discuss my service and their friendly staff have been more than helpful in answering my queries in a timely manner. This means a lot.”
Michael continued to praise his new service for allowing him to access online services and no longer requiring a paper trail: “Filling in forms online has made my life a lot easier. Basically, my life is easier with a lot less hassle.”
Connectivity all over the country
Data and Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said: “It is fantastic to see so many people already benefiting from better connectivity all over the country, including in Teesdale thanks to the government’s Project Gigabit. We are rolling out gigabit networks faster than any other country in Europe – ushering in a new digital era for rural communities which is boosting productivity, unlocking new opportunities, and helping us stay connected with our nearest and dearest.”
“We will continue to expand our digital infrastructure revolution so thousands more rural homes and businesses across Teesdale and beyond can reap the rewards of our top-of-the-range connections”
Follow this link to find out more about Project Gigabit – Digital Durham
We caught up with GoFibre in Barnard Castle during their recent tour of Teesdale talking to residents about all things broadband.
Teesdale residents can request service or register their interest in GoFibre’s full fibre broadband at www.gofibre.co.uk
