Rural homes and businesses receive improved broadband through Project Gigabit

Rural homes and businesses in the East Riding of Yorkshire are starting to get improved broadband connections as part of Project Gigabit, the government-funded programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband.

Broadband supplier Quickline has been awarded contracts worth over £300 million to provide improved broadband in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, including up to 25,000 rural premises in the East Riding.

Project Gigabit is targeting homes and businesses that are not included in broadband suppliers’ commercial plans and currently have speeds of less than 100 megabits per second.

This will reach parts of the East Riding of Yorkshire that might otherwise miss out on getting the digital connectivity they need.

Quickline commenced build in the East Riding in 2024 and to date, over 4500 premises have been connected and can now access gigabit-capable broadband.

Currently, work is ongoing in some of the region’s most rural areas, such as Holderness and the Wolds.

Councillor David Tucker, East Riding of Yorkshire Council deputy leader said “Most East Riding residents are able to access high speed internet, but we know there are some regions where this is still a challenge, especially in very rural areas.”

“We’re proud to work with partners to invest in our region and provide an additional 25,000 rural premises with gigabit-capable broadband. This will support communities, businesses and the rural economy.”

Josh Webster, a senior engineer at Quickline and one of the team involved in the rollout of full fibre across Holderness, grew up in the area and has close ties to the community.

He said: “I’m really proud to be part of the Quickline team rolling out full fibre broadband here in Holderness. This part of East Yorkshire is where I grew up, and it’s still home for me and my family. I know first-hand how frustrating it’s been for people to struggle with poor connectivity – whether that’s children trying to do homework, businesses trying to operate online, or simply keeping in touch with friends and loved ones.

“Holderness is a beautiful, rural area and that’s exactly why people choose to live here. You get the peace and space of the countryside, but for too long that has come at the cost of decent broadband. With Quickline’s gigabit-capable network, that’s about to change.

“I’m excited to see the difference the rollout will make for local families and businesses, and I’m proud to be part of making it happen.”

East Riding of Yorkshire Council will continue to work collaboratively with the UK government, Quickline, Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council, to ensure that as many eligible premises as possible are connected.

Gigabit-capable broadband provides a download speed of at least 1 gigabit per second (or 1000 megabits per second). It is at least twenty times faster than the current average broadband speed in the UK, enabling the download of a high definition film in less than one minute.

Project Gigabit is expected to run in the East Riding until 2028.

More information about Project Gigabit can be found at https://broadband.eastriding.gov.uk/