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.
Mon, 24/02/2025 - 12:10
The first Project Gigabit contract has been signed by GoFibre to bring faster broadband to rural areas of Scotland, that will allow around 11,000 Scottish homes and businesses to benefit from the rollout across the country.
Residents in the Scottish Borders and east Lothian will gain access to gigabit-capable internet upgrades as joint efforts by the UK and Scottish governments to boost internet access in rural areas get underway and power the UK Government’s Plan for Change.
The upgrades will benefit some of the most remote areas of Scotland and the UK, including Athelstaneford and Innerwick in East Lothian and St Abbs, Broughton and Ettrickbridge in the Scottish Borders.
These areas will be among the first in Scotland to benefit from a £26 million contract awarded under Project Gigabit.
The contract was awarded to Scottish altnet provider GoFibre by the Scottish Government.
Richard Lochead, Scottish Government Business Minister said: “Expanding upon the achievements of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband and Reaching 100% programmes, we will deliver Project Gigabit in Scotland to provide resilient connections that meet the needs of people and businesses now and into the future.”
Now the £26 million contract is signed, detailed planning and surveying work will begin, with the first connections expected in the Autumn.
Further contracts to be signed this year will see faster broadband delivered to more premises across Scotland, including Aberdeenshire and the Morayshire Coast, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Orkney and Shetland.
Neil Conaghan, CEO of GoFibre, said: “Delivering this project will build on our successful delivery of Project Gigabit contracts in North Northumberland and Teesdale where we are delivering broadband in rural areas, and we will bring that expertise and experience to this essential project for people in the Borders and East Lothian.”
