Project Gigabit to enable two million rural homes to benefit from £5 billion broadband upgrade

In the latest update from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) on Project Gigabit, it has been announced that 2.2 million homes and businesses in England are set to get a major upgrade on their digital connectivity. Roll out plans have revealed that those in the 26 counties that have been named so far, will get access to the fasted broadband speeds on the market as part of a £5 billion plan to level up internet access across the UK.

Sarah Lee, Director of Policy and Campaigns said: "The Countryside Alliance welcomes this next step from Government for improved digital resources in rural 'not-spot' areas. But the real focus must remain on closing the digital divide, once and for all. We feel this is being held back by the fact that the main commitment and goal of Project Gigabit was watered down to 85 per cent coverage last year. That being said, we look forward to those named rural communities receiving their long-awaited connectivity upgrade which will, hopefully, be closely followed everywhere else."

With more and more people working from home and opting for flexi-working, the productivity of the rural economy has huge potential which is, unfortunately, being held back by the lack of resources currently available to them, such as adequate connectivity. The rural economy is already 16 per cent less productive than the national average but if we were able to level the digital playing field for rural areas, research from BT says that the economic productivity benefits to gigabit-capable connectivity could drive about £60bn in improved productivity in England alone. Delivering this much needed resource to our rural communities must remain a priority for Government as the Project Gigabit fund to upgrade the digital infrastructure of our rural communities will accelerate the country's recovery from covid, setting a good start for a 'green recovery' in our post-Covid world.

Digital Secretary, Oliver Dowden said: "This broadband revolution will create jobs, power up businesses and allow everyone to access vital services at lightning-fast speed, helping us build back better from the pandemic."

This commitment from the Government, with a record-breaking fund fuelling the way, allows for a large-scale investment in those 'not-spot' areas which were left behind by the industry's roll out plans due to the expense and lack of a commercial incentive to connect them to gigabit capable networks.

Continued poor connectivity in rural areas represents a missed opportunity for economic development and these gaps and weaknesses need to be addressed as a priority. The UK Government's decision to downgrade their initial commitment of delivering gigabit enabled broadband to all rural communities by 2025 must be urgently reviewed. The Countryside Alliance was disappointed to see this commitment watered down to 85 per cent coverage in last year's Comprehensive Spending Review. Ministers do believe however, that this new target will be met as the UK is on track for the fastest rollout in Europe, with 60 per cent of households to have access to gigabit-speed internet by the end of this year.

The battle for digital connectivity in the countryside is a constant one, but the Government's commitment to delivering full fibre and gigabit capable broadband to the countryside is a step in the right direction. We have unceasingly campaigned for better connectivity in rural areas and will continue to do so because in an increasingly digital world, broadband is not an optional extra and rural consumers should not be left behind or expected to pay excessive amounts to be connected.