Fibrus brings lightning-fast broadband to Cumbria

More than 36,000 homes and businesses in Cumbria now have access to lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband, thanks to Fibrus. 

The telecoms provider has been working in the county since 2021, bringing full-fibre optic cable all the way to premises to provide connection speeds of up to 2 gigabits per second. This is far superior to the speeds achieved with conventional copper phone networks. 

Alongside its commercial roll-out, Fibrus has started work to connect tens of thousands of people living and working in rural Cumbria to high-speed connectivity as part of a £108 million government contract.  

Project Gigabit is the government’s mission to bring lightning fast, reliable broadband to hard-to-reach communities across the UK. 

Colin Hutchinson, chief financial officer for Fibrus, said: “We’ve made excellent progress in what is a challenging environment to build. 

“The sheer size of Cumbria presents challenges, as does the geology – we’ve had to drill through rock in some places – and with two National Parks and three designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we’ve had to take extra care to minimise the impact of our work on the environment. 

“It’s been particularly satisfying to start delivery on Project Gigabit, bringing full-fibre broadband to parts of the UK that might otherwise miss out on getting the digital connectivity they need.” 

He added: “Full-fibre broadband is the mains electricity of the 21st century and it’s vital that it is widely available. Fibrus will continue to address the digital imbalance in rural connectivity and we look forward to seeing more communities enjoying the benefits of our full-fibre network.” 

Fibrus is currently laying fibre in Kendal, Penrith, Workington and Aspatria. 

It will start work in another 15 towns and villages in the first half of 2024 including Windermere, Whitehaven, St Bees, Flookburgh, Great Broughton, Cockermouth, Distington and Keswick. 

The company has hosted events in 11 communities to explain its work, responded to more than 300 enquiries and launched an apprentice training facility at Newton Rigg, Penrith, where 16 apprentices have completed training and another 74 will be trained by 2026. 

Fibrus is also providing £212,000 to support community projects over the life of the Project Gigabit contract. 

It has sponsored the Fibrus 100 girls’ cricket league, provided a fund for grassroots boys’ and girls’ sports clubs and helped to tackle digital poverty with a £60,000 fund for community groups. 

Find out more about the Project Gigabit rollout at www.hyperfastgb.com, or check if you’re already connectable at www.fibrus.com.