Project Gigabit progress update – November 2024
Published 27 November 2024
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1. Summary
Since our April 2024 update:
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We have signed three new contracts covering Lincolnshire and East Riding, Cheshire, and North Yorkshire.
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We have also signed a cross regional framework agreement with Openreach and awarded the first two call-off contracts under the framework, covering Lancashire, North Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire, West and Mid-Surrey, Staffordshire, West Berkshire and Hertfordshire (Call-Off 1), and West and North Devon, and Northwest, Mid and Southeast Wales (Call-Off 2).
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The Scottish Government launched the first Project Gigabit procurements in Scotland, covering the Border areas and East-Lothian, and Dundee, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
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The Northern Ireland Executive has launched a single regional procurement, expected to cover approximately 11,000 premises.
As of 21 November 2024, ThinkBroadband reports that 85.4% of UK premises are now able to access a gigabit-capable connection, up from 84% at the time of our last quarterly update.
With most Project Gigabit contracts now awarded and only a small number of active or upcoming procurements remaining, our future quarterly reporting will focus on the delivery progress of live contracts and other interventions.
For the latest broadband coverage information, please refer to:
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ThinkBroadband.com – An independent site that uses speed tracking and industry insights to estimate national and regional coverage data
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Ofcom’s bi-annual Connected Nations reports – These reports are official sources of coverage data collected using Ofcom’s statutory powers. The process of collecting and assuring the data means they can lag several months behind actual coverage
2. Update on Project Gigabit Delivery Plans
2.1 Project Gigabit contracts and procurements
There are over 30 contracts in place across England and Wales, supporting the deployment of gigabit-capable broadband to around 1 million premises.
In addition to the two call-off contracts already awarded under the cross-regional framework (Type C), four more call-offs have been launched in the following areas:
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Call off 3 – East and South Shropshire, North Herefordshire, North Wales and Southwest Wales
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Call off 4 – Mid Devon, South Devon and North Somerset
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Call off 5 – Essex and Northeast England
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Call off 7 – Worcestershire
We hope to conclude these procurements in early 2025.
We continue to consider what interventions might be appropriate to cover premises in urban areas that we do not expect will be built to by the market without subsidy.
In Scotland, the Scottish Government is responsible for local and regional Project Gigabit procurements in Scotland. In Summer 2024 the Scottish Government launched:
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a local procurement in the Scottish Borders and parts of Mid- and East Lothian, incorporating over 11,000 eligible premises; and
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a regional procurement in the Dundee, Aberdeenshire & Moray Coast area, incorporating over 68,000 eligible premises
The winning bidder for both these procurements is expected to be announced in early 2025.
Upcoming procurements are expected to cover Orkney and Shetland, as well as Fife, Perth and Kinross, and the Scottish Government continues to work closely with BDUK to identify the best solution for eligible premises in all parts of Scotland.
In November, the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland launched a regional procurement, with up to 11,000 premises included in its scope.
2.2 Vouchers and Gigahubs
The most up to date information about the delivery of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, and premises connected through Gigahubs contracts can be found in BDUK’s Annual Report and Accounts.
Project Gigabit Intervention Areas Map
3. Project Gigabit contracts and procurement pipeline
Live contracts:
| Local or regional supplier procurement | Area and Lot number | Contract signature date | Estimated number of premises in scope of the contract when signed | Contract value | Contracted supplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local | North Dorset (Lot 14.01) | August 2022 | 7,000 | £6.3 million | Wessex Internet |
| Local | Teesdale (Lot 4.01) | September 2022 | 4,000 | £6.6 million | Gofibre |
| Local | North Northumberland (Lot 34.01) | October 2022 | 3,700 | £7.3 million | Gofibre |
| Regional | Cumbria (Lot 28) | November 2022 | 59,000 | £108.5 million | Fibrus |
| Local | Central Cornwall (Lot 32.02) | January 2023 | 9,200 | £18 million | Wildanet |
| Local | South West Cornwall (Lot 32.03) | January 2023 | 9,400 | £17.6 million | Wildanet |
| Regional | Cambridgeshire and adjacent areas (Lot 5) | March 2023 | 44,400 | £68.6 million | CityFibre |
| Local | New Forest (Lot 27.01) | March 2023 | 10,400 | £13.7 million | Wessex Internet |
| Local | North Shropshire (Lot 25.02) | April 2023 | 12,000 | £24 million | Freedom Fibre |
| Regional | Norfolk (Lot 7) | June 2023 | 62,200 | £114.2 million | CityFibre |
| Regional | Suffolk (Lot 2) | June 2023 | 79,500 | £100.4 million | CityFibre |
| Regional | Hampshire (Lot 27) | June 2023 | 75,500 | £104.1 million | CityFibre |
| Local | North East Staffordshire (Lot 19.01) | 31 October 2023 | 5,900 | £16.5 million | Connect Fibre |
| Local | South Oxfordshire (Lot 13.01) | October 2023 | 5,500 | £17 million | Gigaclear |
| Local | North Oxfordshire (Lot 13.02) | October 2023 | 4,200 | £9.4 million | Gigaclear |
| Regional | Derbyshire (Lot 3) | November 2023 | 17,800 | £33.4 million | Connect Fibre |
| Regional | Kent (Lot 29) | February 2024 | 50,900 | £112.2 million | CityFibre |
| Regional | Leicestershire and Warwickshire (Lot 11) | February 2024 | 38,600 | £71.5 million | CityFibre |
| Regional | East and West Sussex (Lots 16 and 1) | February 2024 | 52,800 | £100.6 million | CityFibre |
| Regional | Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes (Lot 12) | February 2024 | 25,700 | £51.4 million | CityFibre |
| Regional | Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and east Berkshire (Lot 26) | February 2024 | 34,200 | £58.7 million | CityFibre |
| Regional | Nottinghamshire and West of Lincolnshire (Lot 10) | February 2024 | 34,300 | £58.6 million | Connexin |
| Regional | West Yorkshire and York Area (Lot 8) | February 2024 | 28,000 | £60.9 million | Quickline |
| Local | East Gloucestershire (Lot 18) | February 2024 | 4,400 | £16.8 million | Gigaclear |
| Local | West Herefordshire and Forest of Dean (Lot 15) | March 2024 | 7,900 | £23.4 million | Full Fibre |
| Regional | South Wiltshire (Lot 30) | March 2024 | 17,400 | £18.8 million | Wessex Internet |
| Regional | South Yorkshire (Lot 20) | March 2024 | 32,100 | £44.4 million | Quickline |
| Local | Peak District (Lot 3.01) | March 2024 | 4,,400 | £10.7 million | Full Fibre |
| Regional | Dorset and South Somerset (Lot 14) | March 2024 | 21,400 | £33.5 million | Wessex Internet |
| Regional | Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (Lot 32) | April 2024 | 16,800 | £41.2 million | Wildanet |
| Local | Mid-West Shropshire (Lot 25.01 | April 2024 | 6,000 | £12 million | Voneus |
| Regional | Cheshire (Lot 17) | April 2024 | 15,000 | £43.1 million | Freedom Fibre |
| Regional | North Yorkshire (Lot 31) | May 2024 | 36,300 | £73.4 million | Quickline |
| Regional | Lincolnshire (including NE Lincolnshire and N Lincolnshire) and East Riding (Lot 23) | June 2024 | 71,900 | £118.9 million | Quickline |
| Cross Regional | Lancashire North Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire West and Mid-Surrey Staffordshire West Berkshire Hertfordshire (Call-Off 1) | June 2024 | 54,300 | £149.7 million | Openreach |
| Cross Regional | West and North Devon, Northwest, Mid and Southeast Wales (Call-Off 2) | June 2024 | 42,200 | £139.1 million | Openreach |
Live procurements (premises numbers and contract values as of 21 November 2024):
The tables below show the live procurements posted on the GOV.UK website.
| Local, regional or cross regional procurement | Area and Lot number | Procurement start date | Estimated contract award date (subject to change) | Number of premises in scope of the procurement (subject to change) | Indicative contract value (£ million) (subject to change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Regional | East and South Shropshire, North Herefordshire, North Wales, and South West Wales (Call-off 3) | 30 August 2024 | January 2025 | 55,900 | £108.9 million |
| Cross Regional | Mid Devon, North Somerset, and South Devon (Call-Off 4) | 30 August 2024 | January 2025 | 41,500 | £77.0 million |
| Cross Regional | Essex, North East England (Call off 5) | 30 August 2024 | January 2025 | 27,200 | £61.3 million |
| Cross Regional | Worcestershire (Lot 24) (Call off 7) | 30 August 2024 | January 2025 | 23,800 | £41.9 million |
| Local | South Scotland - Borders, East Lothian | May 2024 | January 2025 | 11,300 | £26.2 million |
| Regional | Dundee, Aberdeenshire & Moray Coast | August 2024 | March 2025 | 68,400 | £105.7 million |
| Regional | Northern Ireland | November 2024 | July 2025 | 10,900 | £34.6 million |
Upcoming procurements:
| Local or regional or cross regional procurement | Area and Lot Number | Procurement start date | Estimated contract award date (subject to change) | Estimated number of premises outside supplier plans (subject to change) | Indicative contract value (£ million) (subject to change) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Regional | Scotland (Call off 6) | December 2024 | April 2025 | 76,400 | £157.1 million |
| Regional | Fife, Perth & Kinross | January2025 | September2025 | 28,600 | £43.1 million |
| Regional Local | Orkney & Shetland | December 2024 | October 2025 | 13,600 | £40.7 million |