Fibrus celebrates major milestone in delivering high-speed broadband to Cumbria

Project Gigabit is the government-funded programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband. As part of a £108 million connectivity boost, Fibrus is rolling out bringing next generation broadband services to homes and businesses that might have otherwise missed out on gigabit upgrades across Cumbria.

Fibrus was awarded the contract in November 2022, which initially covered 32,000 homes and businesses in Cumbria. Today we are proud to announce that it has achieved a major milestone in its Project Gigabit contract, successfully delivering reliable connectivity to almost 12,500 homes and businesses in Cumbria – on time and within budget.

This milestone comes after the announcement that Fibrus’ UK Government contract has been extended, allowing Fibrus to deliver Full Fibre broadband to an additional 21,000 previously underserved premises in Cumbria. Once completed, alongside other commercial expansion plans, 99% of homes and businesses in Cumbria will have access to next-generation broadband.

Among those benefiting from wider access to lightning-fast Full Fibre broadband is Cumbrian dairy farmer Andrew Williamson from High Hesket who says his connection has been a game changer.

“It has made a huge difference,” said Andrew, who farms 240 pedigree Holsteins at Inglewood House at Calthwaite near Penrith.

“The farm is right on the end of the line and continually had problems with phone lines and internet speed. We’ve gone from 2mb at the best, up to 500mb overnight. The reliability has made a huge difference to the farm, it has made everything more efficient.”

He added: “Farming has changed massively in the last 20 or 30 years, and everything we do is data driven. The problem is, as things get more sophisticated you need more speed. All the milk recording and information we need on the pedigree of the cows is web based, so having good internet and website access is really important.”

Jenny Lennon, Managing Director of Hyperfast Networks, said: “The fibre rollout in Cumbria has been one of the most challenging we’ve encountered, with geographical challenges, heritage sites, and tourism restrictions all playing a role. Reaching this significant milestone under Project Gigabit is a huge achievement.”

“Stories like Andrew’s are a powerful reminder of why we do what we do. This project is making a lasting impact on digital infrastructure, bringing Full Fibre broadband to those who were previously left behind and truly transforming lives in these communities.”

“Focused on our next milestone, we’re excited for the future and fully committed to delivering 99.9% Full Fibre broadband coverage across Cumbria.”

Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “Fast, reliable broadband is essential to help grow businesses and our economy as a whole, and Project Gigabit is rolling out the connectivity to help make this growth a reality for people. For farmers like Andrew, it demonstrates how businesses can thrive with access to great digital connectivity.

“We’re breaking down barriers to opportunity and nowhere is this more apparent than in Cumbria, where almost 12,500 more homes and businesses now have access to lightning-fast broadband.”

Fibrus’ impact in Cumbria extends far beyond broadband. In April 2023, the Fibrus launched the ‘Community Fund Cumbria’ to help combat digital poverty, with a special focus on supporting older and younger members of the community. By the end of this year, Fibrus will have invested £180,000 to help tackle digital exclusion in the region.

To further support local youth, Fibrus also introduced the Play it Forward Fund’ in 2023, providing vital funding to grassroots, non-profit sports clubs across Cumbria. To date, 40 clubs have benefited from this initiative. Fibrus’ commitment to young people is also demonstrated through its apprentice training facility at the former agricultural college at Newton Rigg, Penrith. Here, 46 apprentices have completed their training, with more set to be trained by 2026.