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This initiative is part of our sustainability efforts to commit to a 100% EV fleet by 2025. With this update we now have 37% of our overall fleet as electric, which surpasses our expectation to hit a 30% fleet by the end of 2023, saving a whopping 176 tons of CO2 per year.

Paul Houston, Fibre Planning senior specialist, is a self-confessed car enthusiast. Paul spoke about his experience with his new EV vehicle: “I absolutely love cars, and half of my professional life has involved working with them. I certainly love the greener and cheaper motoring an EV brings.”

“Fibrus offered me a VW ID3, as one of the first in the fleet, and they also helped to provide the home charging kit for the car. With my new car, a fast charge from near empty will take around an hour, which suits very well if I utilise the chargers at the offices whilst I’m there” he said.

All Fibrus EV drivers have home charging facilities, and the fleet is also supported by rapid car chargers which are available at Fibrus’ Dargan site. These chargers are lightning quick following the addition of a rapid 50KW charging unit alongside other charge points. Designed, connected, and installed by Belfast EV charging point operator Weev, the electric charging points at the Belfast site have revolutionised Fibrus’ operations, as well as being available for personal use as well.

Fibrus is always striving for best practice when it comes to ESG initiatives, and this update is another milestone on our journey to achieve net zero by 2040.

“It’s great to be at the forefront of fleet electrification and playing a part in the rising green tide.” said Head of HSEQ John Evans.

The increase in the EV fleet means Fibrus staff are helping to combat climate change one mile at a time.

Fibrus has already allocated the entirety of our annual £60k Community Fund in Northern Ireland ahead of schedule due to overwhelming demand.

Over 30 organisations in the region have benefitted from the latest round after we assigned all the funding earmarked for 2023 this summer due to the huge volume of applications submitted.

More than 70 projects have received grants to tackle digital poverty, benefitting nearly 14,000 people living in Northern Ireland, since the fund was launched in 2021.

Dominic Kearns, Chief Executive of Fibrus, said the purpose of the fund was to “bridge the digital divide in local communities”.

“The Fibrus Community Fund was established to address digital poverty and, when we saw the overwhelming demand from deserving organisations, we decided to allocate all the available funding for the year, reaffirming our commitment to creating a more digitally inclusive society.”

“It’s important to us that while we’re bringing the people of Northern Ireland high-speed connections, we’re putting money back into the community. The success of the Fibrus Community Fund highlights that there is still work to be done in Northern Ireland when it comes to closing the digital divide.”

Mr Kearns added: “Working in partnership with the Community Foundation NI, we are proud to be playing our part in enhancing people’s lives through improved digital literacy and connectivity.”

The impact of the fund has been felt across various sectors, with Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), community groups, playgroups, as well as arts and sports organisations, among the recipients.

One of the organisations to significantly benefit from the latest round of funding was the Armagh Westenders who provide a support network for elderly and vulnerable people. They successfully ran a seniors’ digital support programme for their 150-plus members, offering two six-week digital inclusion courses and providing 10 iPhones to members without devices.

Secretary Siobhan Murphy spoke about the profound impact the project had on people’s lives.

“Many elderly members weren’t online, and quite a few lived in rural communities, so they were relatively isolated,” she said.

“It’s fantastic to see them using the phones and WhatsApp to connect with their friends and family. Most importantly, they can see photos of loved ones, which brings them immense joy.

“The programme has certainly had an impact on social inclusion; it makes our members feel more like they truly belong to the group.  As you get older and move away from digital devices, you tend to get more isolated, so it’s a courageous step to take at that age. The Fibrus Community Fund has been instrumental in empowering these individuals, enriching their lives, and fostering a sense of belonging within the community.”

David Kennedy, Communications Manager at the Community Foundation NI, said the partnership with Fibrus has been vitally important.

“The partnership with the Community Foundation and Fibrus has had a real impact on the ground and in our communities in terms of building access to digital devices and learning,” he said.

“It has been a lifeline not only for the groups themselves, but also their members at an individual level. As we look ahead, we are already in the process of planning future initiatives for the Fibrus Community Fund. Our collective goal is to further expand its impact and reach, supporting even more projects that foster digital inclusion and social cohesion.”

• Name:

Chris Kerr 

• Position:

Fibre Planner (Self Fund Self Build)

• Where are you from?

I’m from Belfast but I live in Armagh

• When are you at your happiest? 

I play Gaelic football at club level, having played for 15 years with Antrim County Footballers . I go to the gym regularly & enjoy walking and listening to podcasts. 

• What are you passionate about?

 I’m passionate about sport, in particular Gaelic Football, which I’ve played from the age of 5. I’m also a very passionate mental health advocate, having had struggles myself following the passing of my dad in 2013. I am an ambassador for some well-known charities in NI, including Aware NI, PIPS, Darkness into light and Uberheroes. 

• What’s something you saw recently that made you smile/laugh?

I recently brought my 11 month old son to his first GAA match. I wasn’t sure how he would react to the noise, but he loved the air horns, flags and colours, and blabbered away like his da! 

• How do you like to wind down from your day?

With the amount of evenings I spend at training, I spend a few hours accumulating as many ‘Brownie Points’ as possible as I’m usually handed my baby son the minute I finish work. I normally bring him for a walk or to a local park, unstack the dishwasher and then head off to training!  

• What does your typical day in Fibrus look like?

I have a nice balance of working at home and being on site or in the office one day a week so there is good variety! 

• What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of? 

I would say speaking in front of a lot of my colleagues in January about mental health struggles, how I overcame them and how I now try to use that experience to help others. 

• What’s your go-to productivity trick?

Lots of coffee! 

• What led you to this career?

I had heard great things about Fibrus prior to joining. Having previously been a planner before I applied, I thankfully got the role and haven’t looked back. 

• What motivates you at work?

I really like helping others, working with great people and teams, especially when on site seeing the impact we are making on the people who live in remote areas. 

• What’s the best advice you were ever given?

 Work as hard as you can – especially when no-one else is watching! 

• What three things would you take if stranded on a desert island?

Phone, charger and factor 50! 

• What book, movie, music, etc. changed your outlook on life?

 Legacy – All Blacks /Dark Knight Rises/OASIS 

• If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?

 Have Doc Browns ‘DeLorean’ or being injury free would be pretty cool! 

• What’s the top destination on your must-visit list? 

I love Ibiza – but would love to go to Vegas! 

A new women’s softball cricket league has launched in Cumbria, giving teams the chance to compete against each other with the support of Fibrus broadband.

Cumbria Cricket formed the league after women’s teams from across the county said they wanted to play more competitively.

Matches took place at Ulverston Cricket Club on Sunday with teams from Barrow, Ulverston, Kendal, Lindal, Dalton and Carnforth all taking part.

Kathleen O’Connor plays for Barrow women’s team and believes the inclusivity and camaraderie of the sport is a big part of its appeal.

“We’re obviously competitive but it’s a good fun sport and we always have a laugh, and it’s a really inclusive sport where people can join in at any skill level and work their way up.

“We get a lot out of it – friendship, a bit of fitness, being in the outdoors – what’s not to like?”

Teams from across the league are seeing more interest from women wanting to try the sport out for themselves.

33-year-old Laura Croskery grew up around Barrow Cricket Club with her dad playing there, and now she’s captain of the Barrow team. She credits increased press coverage of women’s sport with the boost in numbers of signups.

“With the women’s Ashes, the Lionesses football team, and seeing it all more on the TV, that’s made it more appetising to people,” she explained. “We’ve definitely been able to recruit more off the back of the coverage.”

The teams come from clubs who are part of the Cumbria County Cricket women’s and girls’ hubs where bespoke support is given to develop the women’s game, and many have been running non-competitive softball matches for some time.

Fibrus has demonstrated its support for Cumbrian sport this year, with a fund for grassroot clubs having launched just last month which will invest £30,000 in boys and girls sport in the local area, plus the sponsorship of the Fibrus 100 girls cricket league, and now the women’s league. Just last week, Fibrus announced a new partnership with Workington Town Rugby League. This investment allowed the club to support the women’s team’s first ever competitive home fixture at the newly named “Fibrus Community Stadium.”

Catriona Henry, Sponsorship Lead at Fibrus expressed Fibrus’ commitment to Cumbrian communities:

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Cumbria Cricket on this new women’s softball league. We know how important taking part in sport is for women of all ages, so we’re excited to make this part of our commitment to Cumbria.”

“While we continue our network rollout in Cumbria, we recognise that sport and local clubs are at the heart of the towns and villages we operate in. Following the launch of our Play it Forward Fund, the Fibrus 100 League and our partnership with Workington Town, being able to throw our support behind women’s cricket is fantastic!”

Owain Oxenham, board member of Cumbria Cricket: said: “We want to encourage women and girls of all ages and abilities, from all backgrounds and across our county to gain all the physical and mental benefits of playing this amazing game.

“There’s a real momentum at the moment with women’s cricket and having this league will give the ladies the chance to play competitively and enjoy themselves.

“The support we’ve received from Fibrus is helping to make that a reality.”

Ninety-year-old Ken Porter saw Workington Town’s first ever match in 1945 and yesterday his loyalty was rewarded with the honour of officially renaming the club’s home as the Fibrus Community Stadium.

As a teenager he would walk from Pica to matches, but yesterday he had a very different experience, being treated as a VIP and named the guest of honour. Ken was given lifetime membership of the club, presented with a shirt by head coach Anthony Murray and cheered by the crowd as he cut the ribbon on the pitch to rename the stadium.

“It’s good of the club to do this – I have loved Town all my life,” said Ken, who still goes to every game and loves watching other sports too. He had to miss Town’s 1952 Challenge Cup Final victory because he was working in the RAF, but says he has many happy memories from his seven decades of cheering on his beloved Town.

He was accompanied on to the pitch by his twin sons Graeme and Bryan and great grandson Kaiden.

Bryan said: “This has been such a special day for the whole family. We are all proud of this honour for my dad – all four generations of our family are Workington Town mad, but my mum has never been to a game. She likes to spend her Sundays baking all day long.”

Also being inducted as a lifelong club member was Joe Hill who has been supporting Town for 72 years.

Joe and Ken were able to enjoy a full day of rugby league with the newly formed Workington Town Ladies playing their historic first ever match in the sunshine and two sessions of kids rugby which helped swell the crowd to 1,395 for the men’s victory over Rochdale.

The double header match day marked the launch of Fibrus broadband as the new official sponsor of the stadium alongside sponsoring the men and women’s teams.

Graeme Peers, Director and Commercial Partnerships Manager at Workington Town, said the cash injection would transform the club earlier in the week:

“The deal will allow us to change the business model and help the women’s team get established. We will be able to employ paid professionals on the commercial side and in our community development. We aim to have a representative, a skilled coach, who can work with schools and colleges to nurture young players.”

The Ladies team were delighted with their win and celebrated in style on and off the pitch after a 38-16 victory over Newcastle Thunder with Lauren Bold scoring the historic first ever try for the new team.

Captain and ‘Player of the Game’ Laura Ivison said: “We are all absolutely buzzing after that. We were a bit nervous to be playing in front of a crowd, but we couldn’t have wished for a better start.

“The crowd was unbelievable and we just can’t wait for the next game.”

Men’s team head coach Anthony Murray said he was proud that Workington Town now had a ladies team and praised the women for the hard work they had been putting in on the training pitch and in the gym.

“Workington has had a good week. The investment from Fibrus has created a massive buzz around the place.

“I think the renaming of the stadium to Fibrus Community Stadium is spot on because that’s what we are trying to do here. We’ve had the kids playing and the girls making history today. We’ve had three local young girls teams playing today and now they have something to aspire to.

“It all fits in with what we are doing at the club. I’m delighted – it’s a proud moment.”

The sunshine certainly helped with the feel good atmosphere with the club’s largest crowd of the season enjoying a full day of rugby and two victories to celebrate.

Mandy Wood, of Whitehaven, was enjoying the day with her family. “There is such a good feeling around the club at the moment. The Ladies’ game was such a good match and seeing investment come into the club is massive for us.”

Bev Steele and her husband Steven, of Maryport, enjoyed watching their son, Malik, play in the men’s team and were full of praise for the Workington Town’s community focus.

“The club has really pivoted its position across the board to include youngsters and now the women’s team. They’ve got a real connection with the grassroots.

“Rugby league in west Cumbria is one community and when we all come together to support teams and the sport it’s phenomenal.”

Workington Town’s Derwent Park will now be known as the Fibrus Community Stadium as part of a significant investment in the club by Fibrus.

Fibrus are investing in the Rugby League club in return for the stadium naming rights. The partnership was driven by a mutual focus on investing in the local community and the pursuit of improving sport in Cumbria.

As well as stadium naming rights, Fibrus is also taking the front of shirt sponsorship for the newly-formed women’s team and the warm-up jerseys for the men’s side.

Laura Ivison, captain of the new Workington Town Ladies team, said: “It will be an honour to go out there in these shirts and lead the lasses onto the field for the town. It shows girls out there that there is a way forward to play rugby for your local team.”

Carl Forber, the club’s record point scorer, said: “I think it’s a good choice to call it the Fibrus Community Stadium because it literally is a community club with things going on at every home game to involve local people, and I think it’s because it’s such a good community club that I’ve stayed here so long.”

Graeme Peers, Director and Commercial Partnerships Manager at Workington Town, said the cash injection would transform the club:

“The deal will allow us to change the business model and help the women’s team get established. We will be able to employ paid professionals on the commercial side and in our community development. We aim to have a representative, a skilled coach, who can work with schools and colleges to nurture young players.”

The launch of stadium signage and official naming of the Fibrus Community Stadium will take effect at Town’s next home fixture, a double header on Sunday 9th July when the men take on Rochdale Hornets in League One and the women play their first ever competitive home fixture against Newcastle Thunder.

Graeme said: “We’ve been approached about the naming rights before, but it didn’t really fit with what we were trying to do at the club. As soon as we spoke to Fibrus we knew we were on the same wavelength. Fibrus is really focused on community and big on supporting a variety of sports.”

Dean Jooste, Stakeholder Director for GB at Fibrus said “The stadium is an iconic landmark in West Cumbria with deep community roots dating back to the 1950s. The launch of the Fibrus Community Stadium marks an exciting new era for Fibrus and for Workington Town, and we are honoured to be part of this journey.”

Fibrus has demonstrated its support for Cumbrian sport this year by launching a fund for grassroots clubs, which will invest £30,000 in boys’ and girls’ sport in the county, and it recently sponsored the Fibrus 100 girls’ cricket league in partnership with Cumbria Cricket. This investment sits alongside The Fibrus Community Fund, in which Fibrus have invested £60,000 this year to tackle digital poverty across Cumbria.

Catriona Henry, Sponsorship Lead at Fibrus, added: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Workington Town. We recognise that sports clubs are at the heart of communities we serve and that’s especially true of Rugby League in West Cumbria.”

“This comes at an exciting time for us, having made over 1,000 homes in Workington available for gigabit capable broadband, and having recently launched our partnership with Cumbria Cricket Girls team, all in the past four weeks. We’re proud to assist the new women’s team and help the club as a whole to thrive.”

Fibrus is transforming the digital infrastructure of rural and regional areas of the UK by investing in excess of £700m to bring full-fibre broadband to homes in towns and villages across Northern England and Northern Ireland. Just recently, the broadband provider connected its first homes in Cumbria under the Government’s Project Gigabit contract.

To find out if you are connectable to Fibrus broadband, call 080 0099 1111 or visit www.fibrus.com

• Name:

Patrick Maxwell

• Position:

Sales Support Manager

• Where are you from?

Belfast

• What do you like to do in your free time, and what makes you happy?

I love going to the gym 3-5 times a week and have been known for going on a few wee holidays. I love nothing better than seeing my family and friends or going to the occasional music concert or festival!

• What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about keeping healthy, both physically and mentally. I think in this day and age it is super important that we all find the time look after ourselves and each other.

• What’s something you saw recently that made you smile/laugh?

My dog Teddy. He’s a Pomeranian but thinks he’s a Rottweiler and he is a just a furball of fun, constantly doing crazy mad things without a care in the world. Everyone needs a Teddy in their lives.

• How do you like to wind down from your day?

I usually wind down by heading to the gym for 45mins after a crazy day, meeting up with friends for a coffee, or going out for a nice meal and a catch up.

• What does your typical day at Fibrus look like for you?

There really isn’t a typical day in Fibrus which is why I love working here so much. It’s the buzz of not knowing what could potentially happen throughout the day, which adds to the excitement of being part of an amazing company and network of people.

• What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of?

Wow, there is so many. I think for me, it’s seeing how my team have grown from a team of two to now five and being able to champion each of them in their roles. I am passionate about supporting them in their journey within the business, whether that’s in relation to DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport), cutting weekly routes for the sales team, engaging with internal stakeholders to improve efficiencies and processes, dealing with Sales Support cases and customer emails, Refer To Sales orders, approving new orders, to a recent promotion within the team. It’s all in a day’s work for the amazing talent that makes up the Sales Support team.

• What’s your go-to productivity trick?

To engage with others and being collaborative in my approach by planning my day or week ahead. I also like prioritising what’s most important by creating a to-do list to get things done in the best possible way.

• What led you to this career?

I have previously worked for other Telecomms companies, so when I noticed that Fibrus were recruiting and were making waves in the industry, I wanted to be part of that journey… and what an incredible one it’s been so far! I have over 15 years’ experience of managing people, which I had stepped away from in my previous role and decided it was the one thing that I really missed and wanted to get back into.

• What motivates you at work?

My team and the amazing work that they all do  day-to-day, and seeing how much they love to help others. Just to see how hard they all work individually and collaboratively as a team is the best feeling a manager can have, especially when their team are the driving force behind making things better/easier/faster for the greater good.

• What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?

‘Never change & always be yourself’ was something my mum always would have instilled in each of us growing up and I have lived by that advice ever since.

• What’s your earliest memory?

When I was around six years old going on our yearly holiday to Donegal and us all going fishing with my dad – which I think we all hated apart from dad and my two brothers, as we often never caught anything!

• What book, movie, music, etc. has changed your outlook on life?

It has to be the movie The Impossible, which was inspired by the true story about a family that were caught up in the 2004 earthquake & tsunami. I think that movie really made me think about life and how important it is to live in and for the moment and just enjoy it all.

• If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?

For me my superhero power would have to be the ability to fly. It would save me an absolute fortune on travel costs!!

• What’s the top destination on your must-visit list?

It’s got to be Brazil, I even tried to learn the language (Brazil Portuguese) a few years ago at Queens. The people are so happy and welcoming which really makes me want to visit. As well as the carnivals, they have amazing wildlife and weather… the list goes on. It’s definitely in my 5 year plan to visit! Amazing country.

A new, exciting league has been launched to give Cumbrian girl teams the chance to play in a league for the first time with the support of Fibrus Broadband as Title Sponsor.

Cumbria Cricket has helped with the formation of new teams to represent different parts of the county and the fast-paced ‘Fibrus 100 League’ got underway on Sunday.

Playing the league’s first matches were the Eden Eagles, the Central Sixers, the Southern Power Team and Sedbergh School.

Daisy Drage, 11, was thrilled to be playing in the new league for the Southern Power Team.

“It feels amazing to be part of a proper competition playing against a full team of girls”,  said Daisy, who is a pupil at Sir John Barrow school and normally plays cricket for the Ulverston Rockets.

“I just love playing cricket and can’t wait for more games to come.”

Mum Andi Drage thought the new league was a big step forward for girls’ cricket.

“It is a massive opportunity for the girls. They can see a way forward now to stick with cricket .”

Katie Hunter, from Levens, was playing for the Central Sixers and was pleased to be taking part in the first girls’s league matches.

The 14-year-old Queen Elizabeth School pupil said: “I normally play for Sedgewick and the county team, but it’s really good to be playing in this league. It’s a fun way to play – against other girls’ teams in a format that makes it quite fast paced.

“I hope it gets a lot more girls into cricket.”

The Fibrus 100 League includes teams at Under 13 and Under 16 levels covering the whole of Cumbria and comes on the back of a rapid growth and investment in women’s cricket fueled by the success of the national team, a professional English league and increasing coverage by major broadcasters.

Fibrus has demonstrated its support for Cumbrian sport this year, with a fund for grassroot clubs having launched just last month which will invest £30,000 in boys and girls sport in the local area, followed closely by the sponsorship of this league.

Catriona Henry, Sponsorship Lead at Fibrus expressed Fibrus’ commitment to Cumbrian communities:

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Cumbria Cricket for the inaugural Fibrus 100 League. The creation of this new league is a huge step forward for girls’ cricket, and a big step for Fibrus in our commitment to support communities in Cumbria.”

“While we continue our network rollout in Cumbria, we recognise that sport and local clubs are at the heart of the towns and villages we operate in. Following the launch of our Play it Forward Fund last month, the Fibrus 100 League is another way in which we can help young people switch off, make friends, and have fun!”

Bob Simpson, director of cricket development at Cricket at Cumbria Cricket  is delighted to be making strides in extending the appeal of the game.

“The partnership we have with Fibrus enables the dream to become a reality. This league is groundbreaking for Cumbria and is a marker of the increasing interest in girls and women’s cricket on a national level. It is a platform with the potential to transform women’s and girls’ cricket in the area, and we are proud to be working with clubs across our county to deliver this.”

The league includes five founding teams:

• Eden Eagles – covering Appleby, Edenhall, Penrith, Patterdale, Kirkby, Stephen, Stainton
• Central Sixers – drawing players from Netherfield, Kendal, Arnside, Milnthorpe, Sedgwick, Carnforth
• Southern Power – from Ulverston, Dalton, Barrow, Lindal, Coniston, Millom, Haverigg.
• Western Boom – with players from Cockermouth, Egremont, Workington, Whitehaven.
• Sedbergh School – with Under 13 and Under 16 players representing the school.

Fibrus will also be sponsoring a women’s softball cricket league with fixtures taking place through the summer.

Owain Oxenham, Director of Cumbria Cricket: said: “We want to encourage women and girls of all ages and abilities, from all backgrounds and across our county to gain all the physical and mental benefits of playing this amazing game.”

Fibrus has teamed up with eero, an Amazon company, to guarantee Wi-Fi in every room of your house.

The eero Pro 6E and eero 6+ routers provide exceptional Wi-Fi, enabling lightning-fast broadband speed, efficient coverage and a reliable connection. What’s more, you can connect your Alexa and Amazon devices to manage your connected home.

Customers who opt for the Total Home Wi-Fi packages, Full Fibre 300 and above, can say goodbye to buffering, and hello to easy streaming all around the house. Two new world class eero 6+ devices will now be provided to new Full Fibre 300 customers as standard, with a Total Home Wi-Fi guarantee, meaning that every room in your house gets a strong connection.

Fibrus’ eero offering also features a dedicated mobile app that enables easy set-up, as well as personal profiles, giving customers more control and visibility of their home network performance. There are also advanced parental controls so customers can easily block websites for family-safe browsing, streaming, and social media use.

Fibrus Product Manager, Neil Patterson said this partnership with Amazon has enabled the company to provide a broadband ‘hero’ for homes of new and existing customers.

“We’ve teamed up with eero because we’re always looking for ways to bring our customers the latest technology, superior speeds, and reliable performance at affordable prices.” He said.

“We are committed to bringing the latest Wi-Fi technology to all. Our extensive fibre roll out and this new relationship with Amazon’s eero will help enhance the full fibre broadband experience for our customers around their homes.”

“Whether you’re working, learning or gaming from home, eero devices provide fast, reliable Wi-Fi throughout the home and help keep online experiences safe and secure.”

Fibrus has a range of packages to suit different household needs and budgets. Existing customers will be able to upgrade their current package if they want to take advantage of the benefits of eero in the future. For more information visit: www.fibrus.com

Fibrus is pleased to announce that the first homes have been connected as part of the new £108m gigabit-capable broadband scheme to improve connectivity in rural Cumbria. This comes after the UK government awarded the company with the delivery of the breakthrough initiative late last year.

Fibrus was awarded the Project Gigabit contract for Cumbria in November 2022, with a remit for the provision of full fibre broadband to around 60,000 premises in the area. It has taken just six months for residents in Staveley to experience the benefits of the fastest broadband on the market thanks to new technology provided by Fibrus. All newly connected properties in Staveley are now using cutting edge XGS-PON technology which offers broadband speeds of up to 2Gbps.

Project Gigabit is the biggest broadband roll-out in British history, backed with £5bn from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to deliver lightning-fast broadband connections to hard-to-reach and rural areas that would otherwise have missed out. Gigabit capable networks are fast and future-proofed, allowing users to work, stream and scroll online without the battle for bandwidth or disruption often experienced with ageing networks.

Tens of thousands of rural homes and businesses will be able to plug into faster connections in the new network thanks to Project Gigabit, enabling Cumbrian communities to take full advantage of the benefits full fibre broadband can offer.

Fibrus’ Chief Delivery Officer Conor Harrison said, “From signing the contract late last year, to connecting the first homes in Staveley within six months illustrates the high speed of delivery with which Fibrus has become synonymous.”

“The efficient execution of this work is testament to the commitment, dedication, and skill of our team members, who are equipped and ready to deliver full fibre broadband to the people of Cumbria.

“Fibrus is privileged to be involved in this transformative project which will change the lives of people living in this part of rural and regional England. We will continue to work hard to fulfil our obligations under this exciting project.”

Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, Sir John Whittingdale, said: “The government funded Project Gigabit is a connectivity revolution – delivering lightning-fast broadband for people in some of the UK’s hardest to reach communities. Some 60,000 properties in rural Cumbria will benefit from the finished network, giving residents access to the fastest broadband speeds on the market.

“A modern digital infrastructure unlocks opportunity and powers productivity. Our £5bn investment in Project Gigabit ensures every corner of the country has access to fast, reliable connectivity – levelling the playing field for years to come”.

Maxine and Keith Brown from Staveley, who were among the first customers connected, were delighted with the efficient installation process and have been enjoying the improved speeds they are getting from their new fibre broadband service. Keith said:

“It’s good to hear that the government is investing in full fibre broadband in rural areas across Cumbria.  Many properties get a terribly slow broadband connection on the old copper service.  They’ll be pleased to be connected to fibre so they can do more things online at home.”

“The people who installed our internet were absolutely wonderful. They were in and out with no bother, and everything was explained to us. I’d recommend Fibrus to anybody.” Said Maxine.

In Northern Ireland, Fibrus is well over halfway through Project Stratum, a £197m contract to deliver gigabit capable broadband to some 85,000 hard-to-reach homes and businesses in the region. The collaboration, which was part-financed by the UK Government and NI Executive, means that already over 50,000 premises have access to full fibre gigabit capable broadband.

With plans to invest a staggering £700m, Fibrus remains focused on bringing full fibre broadband to homes and businesses in remote UK towns and villages that need it most