Thousands of homes and businesses in Derbyshire Peak District to receive gigabit-capable broadband

The project aims to bring lightning-fast fibre broadband to homes and businesses that are not included in broadband suppliers’ commercial plans, reaching parts of the UK that might otherwise miss out. This contract will offer around 4,400 remote premises in approximately 87 hard-to-reach towns and villages in the area access to the fastest speeds on the market, including Matlock, Birchover, Buxton and Ashover across the Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, North East Derbyshire and High Peak.

The rollout will give residents access to the latest broadband technology, including full fibre direct to the premises — capable of providing speeds over 1,000 megabits (or one gigabit per second), around 30 times faster than existing typical speeds that are closer to 30Mbps.

The government funding also enables FullFibre Ltd to reach a further 7,500 properties, which, under normal circumstances, would be considered too expensive without this support.

Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said: “The days of snail’s pace broadband are numbered for thousands of rural homes and businesses in parts of rural Northern Derbyshire.

“Our £5 billion Project Gigabit rollout will not only improve people’s digital lives at home through seamless streaming, working and gaming, it will boost the economy by helping businesses of all shapes and sizes to be more productive, and supercharge rural communities by making it more attractive to invest and create new jobs.”

The new full fibre broadband network will ensure connections in these parts of rural Northern Derbyshire are fully future-proofed, and meet the needs of those in the area for years to come. And due to FullFibre’s open network where multiple internet service providers (ISPs) can compete to provide reliable internet at competitive prices, consumers will benefit from a more varied choice of providers and won’t be tied into costly, long-term contacts. This means no future bill shocks or unexpected price hikes.

Commenting on the partnership, Cllr Carolyn Renwick of Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said: “I’m delighted that around 4,500 rural homes and businesses across the Derbyshire Dales, High Peak and North East Derbyshire will receive faster broadband under Project Gigabit.

“Digital connectivity is extremely important not only to our residents, but to our businesses, healthcare services and education sector. In Derbyshire’s most rural locations it can feel like decent broadband connections are few and far between. This £10m project is a step in the right direction towards bridging the digital divide, which in turn will pave the way for a more connected, innovative, and resilient community.

“We’re pleased to be able to support this investment by the government as part of our long-standing commitment to making Derbyshire a well-connected county.”

Louise Elliott, Chief Customer and Operations officer at FullFibre Ltd also said: “We’re thrilled to be awarded this contract by the government. With this support, we’re able to bring competitive gigabit-capable broadband to thousands of homes and families in rural Northern Derbyshire and provide the highest levels of service.

“As a business, we play an active role and support the communities we operate in, such as sponsoring local organisations and teams, and creating job opportunities for those who would like a career in broadband either with us or our partners.”

Following the investment by the UK Government and FullFibre Ltd to bring this project to fruition, surveying began on 1st April 2024. Those interested can track the progress of the project and register for regular updates via FullFibre’s website.