City Fibre awarded £104m contract

Building Digital UK (BDUK) has carried out significant market engagement in the region to identify potential areas for government intervention to roll out gigabit-capable broadband.

Following a transparent, fair and robust procurement process, BDUK awarded supplier CityFibre a £104.2 million contract to provide around 75,500 premises in Hampshire with access to gigabit-capable broadband. The contract was signed in June 2023.

BDUK and Hampshire County Council will work collaboratively with the supplier on ensuring that network build commences as quickly as possible, once the supplier has completed their detailed plans for this build. An amount of preparatory work is required to reach premises (for example, digging trenches, laying duct, installing fibre) prior to being able to access a service. This varies depending on geography and supplier. The first premises under this contract are anticipated to have access to gigabit-capable broadband in 2024. Once the gigabit-capable network has been built, residents and businesses will be able to request a connection from a broadband service provider to benefit from the faster speeds.

Please note the properties to be reached by the contract are subject to change following detailed planning by the supplier or due to technical reasons during the lifetime of the contract.

Hampshire contract summary

• £104m Project Gigabit investment
• £54m CityFibre investment
• Connections for around 76,000 rural homes and businesses
• Survey work completed anticipated December 2023
• Build commences anticipated January 2024
• Build completion anticipated March 2029

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Rob Humby, said:

It is fantastic that residents, businesses and communities across rural Hampshire will benefit from this government investment to deliver reliable, high-speed full-fibre broadband to areas that are not commercially viable. I am very proud of our role in championing the benefits of gigabit broadband connections to rural communities and securing £104 million to connect 76,000 properties across the county from government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit initiative.

This latest investment sits alongside the £14 million contract awarded in March this year to upgrade properties in the New Forest and is a terrific example of our unique role as a large Local Authority in being a key influencer and enabler to bring organisations and businesses together and secure substantial investment in the interests of boosting Hampshire’s economic and social prosperity.

We will provide further updates as they become available.