17,000 homes and businesses in Derbyshire in line for high-speed broadband under £33million contract

The Government has awarded Connect Fibre the contract to build a gigabit broadband infrastructure in Derbyshire.This will benefit harder to reach areas and empower the community through digital training and support programmes.

Work will start imminently to survey thousands of premises across the county, with spades in the ground expected to start mid-2024, and the first premises expected to be connected in 2025.

Awarded under the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit, the contract will allow the area to enjoy the benefits of Connect Fibre’s ethos of ‘faster, fairer, flawless’ broadband.

Derbyshire people will benefit from free gigabit connections for community learning and library sites, as well as offering free practical support for courses and IT buddy programmes. Connect Fibre will also support local businesses to ensure they’re maximising the transformative potential of high-speed connectivity.

Stefan Stanislawski, CEO of Connect Fibre, said: “Connect Fibre is thrilled to be awarded the Project Gigabit contract to bring full fibre broadband to hard-to-reach parts of Derbyshire. We’re big believers in the transformative power of reliable broadband and are honoured to be delivering to homes and businesses that need it most.

“Our commitment to connecting rural communities doesn’t stop at providing broadband, but extends into empowering homes and businesses with everything they need to thrive in today’s digital world. We are excited to get started on this journey and to see the life-changing impact it will have on Derbyshire residents.”