Borderlink Broadband, trading as GoFibre, will work with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the County Council to enable thousands of hard-to-reach homes and businesses to access gigabit-enabled broadband, made possible by £7.3 million of DCMS investment.
GoFibre is a Scottish independent broadband provider offering full fiber optic broadband services to homes and businesses in Scotland and the North of England. This is the third contract awarded under the Gigabit project.
The project will cover towns and villages in the region, including premises near Berwick and Wooler, subject to further investigation. The contract has been signed and planning is underway, with construction expected to begin in spring 2023.
The government is set to invest £5billion to connect hard-to-reach areas, including the North East, to provide communities with fast broadband. The connection should allow data to be uploaded and downloaded smoothly.
Cllr Richard Wearmouth, Deputy Leader of Northumberland County Council and Portfolio Holder for Business Services, said: “I’m really pleased to see the plans to roll out gigabit-capable broadband speeds in North Northumberland.
“This will allow thousands of our residents living and working in rural areas to access the fastest and most reliable connection speeds available and will make access to everyday activities – such as online banking, calls video, gaming and streaming – much more efficient.
“Not only will this benefit our rural communities, but it will also support the leveling of our rural businesses, allowing for better opportunities for innovation and collaboration.”
Julia Lopez, Minister for Digital Infrastructure, said: ‘North Northumberland will be one of the first places to benefit from this Government’s multi-million pound investment to bring broadband speeds to people in hard-to-reach areas. they deserve.
“Faster gigabit broadband will mean that families will no longer have to fight for bandwidth and rural dwellers will benefit from speed, reliability and the freedom to live and work flexibly. “
The fast and reliable networks provided by Project Gigabit will primarily benefit rural and remote communities in the UK, while tackling pockets of poor connectivity in urban areas. Having the fastest connections also means the UK is ready for the future, with broadband infrastructure designed to meet people’s needs for decades to come.
Sam Calvert, Chief Revenue Officer at GoFibre, said: “At GoFibre everything we do is guided by our mission to support the development and prosperity of local communities in the North of England and Scotland with services high quality broadband.
“We are delighted to have been awarded our second contract as a trusted partner under the government’s Project Gigabit programme, with today’s announcement presenting us with an exciting opportunity to extend our services to the people of North Northumberland.
“Being already embedded in the Berwick community, we are strengthening our ties with North Northumberland by helping people connect with each other and thrive, with a reliable broadband connection. This opens up opportunities for economic growth, education and jobs, with everyone deserving of the access to world-class connectivity that we look forward to bringing to North Northumberland.
Households and businesses can register their interest in GoFibre’s fiber optic broadband services by visiting www.gofibre.co.uk/register
