Region set for further £30m broadband boost

Broadband network company, Openreach, has confirmed that another 100,000 homes and businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber will get access to full fibre connections.

The company is unveiling £30m worth of investment across 13 new locations – Barnby Dun, Bingley, Gilberdyke, Howden, Hoyland, Ilkley, Leven, Maltby, North Cave, Pocklington, Rawmarch, Thrybergh and York.

They join around 180 other towns and villages across Yorkshire and the Humber already included in Openreach’s build plans.

Earlier this week, the business noted it had reached the halfway point of its nationwide plan to reach 25 million premises with its full fibre broadband network by the end of 2026.

It also revealed 142 locations – including the 13 in Yorkshire and the Humber – where it will deliver full fibre to around 1.4 million homes and businesses, including in some of the hardest to reach, most rural communities.

Openreach says it intends to keep building after it reaches its initial 25 million target, reaching up to 30 million premises with full fibre by the end of 2030.

Clive Selley, CEO, said: “This is a national infrastructure project that’s a genuine success story. We’re delivering engineering on an epic scale, on time and on budget – and that’s thanks to a supportive policy environment which has led to huge investment and competition throughout the UK’s telecoms sector.

“From a standing start just a few years ago, we’ve now made this life-changing technology available to 12.5 million premises and counting and we’re building faster than any operator I’m aware of in Europe.

“Our build rate is still accelerating and it’ll take us half the time to reach our next 12.5 million. But we won’t be stopping there.

“Ultimately, we’ll reach up to 30 million premises by the end of the decade – unlocking a raft of economic and social benefits by supporting new models of commerce, healthcare and public services.”