Freedom Fibre is no longer able to complete a contract to roll out gigabit-capable broadband to 12,000 premises in north Shropshire in full, due to changes in the external market, in a new report from the government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) Agency.

Gigaclear has started to connect 9,500 more Oxfordshire homes and businesses under Project Gigabit, in the second contract with total subsidy of £25.4m for the altnet provider to expand its network, covering areas across the north and south of the county.
These contracts will see the installation of over 250km of new duct and 50% of the project will be delivered using existing infrastructure.
Gigaclear’s CEO Nathan Rundle said: “Project Gigabit has been set up to help us bring ultrafast broadband to rural areas, and we have already made a significant investment in building our network in Oxfordshire and as a local business based in Abingdon.”
The Oxfordshire build is now underway, and the project is expected to be completed by November 2026.