Work begins on construction of new full fibre broadband network in north Northumberland

The scheme will connect more than 3,750 hard-to-reach homes and businesses as part of the UK government’s Project Gigabit scheme

Borderlink, trading as GoFibre, was awarded the £7.3m contract last autumn and has spent the last six months planning and surveying for the build alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Northumberland County Council.

Construction will take place until 2025 with homes and businesses across Berwick, Seahouses, Wooler, Belford and neighbouring communities able to access gigabit-capable broadband from as early as autumn 2023.

Gigabit-capable networks allow communities to upload and download data with none of the disruptions associated with ageing copper networks.

With the new network in place, local residents will have access to up to 10Gbps speeds which will significantly enhance their ability to work from home efficiently, utilise multiple devices without lag, and quickly download entire box sets and large files in seconds.

Neil Conaghan, chief executive at GoFibre, said: “We have been busy engaging with rural-based residents and businesses across the north of England and the demand for full fibre connectivity couldn’t be higher. In some of these areas a working Smart TV is out of the question, which so many of us take for granted, because the digital speeds and reliability aren’t there.

“These communities are at real risk of being left behind and so we are thrilled to be addressing the rural digital divide head-on with our north Northumberland build officially underway.

"By way of our partnership with the UK government and Northumberland County Council, we are implementing a future-proof network which will equip these locations with the tools required to drive innovation and success.

“We are grateful for residents’ patience and understanding during the construction phase and we look forward to them experiencing the great benefits of full fibre connectivity later this year.”

It is part of a £5bn Government effort to connect hard-to-reach places.

Cllrr Richard Wearmouth, deputy leader at Northumberland County Council, added: “This is fantastic news for our hard-to-reach areas. We all know the benefits faster and more reliable broadband connection has for our local communities.

“I would urge anyone with access to this to contact their supplier and see what options are available.”

Register interest at www.gofibre.co.uk/register.