Welcome to the December 2023 edition of the Connecting Cumbria newsletter.

In this edition we recap on some of the big digital connectivity developments made during the last year, take a look at the work which will continue in to 2024 to further enhance connectivity, remind readers of the availability of social tariffs and how to access them, and link to our Christmas press release which features local businesses highlighting the importance of improved connectivity across Cumbria.

As always, if you would like to see any specific topics covered in future editions of the Connecting Cumbria newsletter, or if you have any queries regarding connectivity in your area then please forward these to the team at info@connectingcumbria.org.uk

2023 has seen big developments with regard to connectivity across Cumbria; the list below is not exhaustive but features some of the big news stories we have seen over the past 12 months:

• UK Government awarded the Project Gigabit contract to Fibrus Ltd, who will be providing wholesale services on the publicly funded infrastructure under the brand Hyperfast GB. This contract, which is in delivery phase, has to date served 2,000 properties across our county. Deployment under this contract will continue until 2026 – find out more here.
• New homes in England will be built with gigabit broadband connections and telecoms firms will be able to get faster broadband to nine million people living in blocks of flats across the UK, thanks to new laws the government has brought into force – read the full story here.
• The commercial programme of works by a number of commercial providers continues to enhance connectivity across our region. Find out which network providers are operating in your area here.
• Connecting Cumbria continues to support community broadband projects by providing top-up funding to the UK government Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. See: Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme : Connecting Cumbria
• The Home Office is deploying 21 new 4G masts across the county to support the emergency services. These masts are expected to be made available to residents and visitors through their current mobile packages.
• The Ofcom mobile and broadband checker now features information on the availability of outdoor 5G services.  This tool will support premises across the county and can be found here.
• The Borderlands has been named as one of ten 5G Innovation Regions to share in a £36 million fund from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – read more here.

The push to improve connectivity continues across Cumbria through a number of workstreams:

Project Gigabit - In Cumbria, UK Government awarded the Project Gigabit contract to Fibrus Ltd, who will be providing wholesale services on the publicly funded infrastructure under the brand Hyperfast GB to circa 59,000 properties across Cumbria by 2026.  This contract, which is in delivery phase, has to date served over 2,000 properties across our county. Deployment under this contract will continue until 2026.

Commercial Deployment - It is expected that up to 80% of properties around the UK will be covered through the commercial deployment of new gigabit capable infrastructure by a mix of different network companies by the end of 2025. Through a combination of commercial deployments, based upon currently announced plans, and the Project Gigabit delivery we anticipate that gigabit coverage in Cumbria could exceed 99% of properties by 2026.

SRN - The UK Government Shared Rural Network mobile infrastructure programme is seeking to deliver 95% geographical 4G coverage in the UK from at least one Mobile Network Operator by 2025.

Borderlands - The Borderlands Partnership has been established to unlock the potential for sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the South of Scotland and North of England. The Borderlands has recently been named as one of ten 5G Innovation Regions to share in a £36 million fund from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

5G – 5G is a critical emerging technology which will create a range of opportunities for business, leisure, transport, service delivery and safety. We are continuing to look at opportunities across Cumbria to support research and development to ensure that Cumbria is positioned to maximise the benefits from this technology for our businesses, residents and visitors.

Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits.  Some providers call them ‘essential’ or ‘basic’ broadband. We strongly urge eligible customers, or those that work with potentially eligible customers, to check out these packages and help raise awareness of the availability of this route to connectivity.

Find out more here.

Many businesses across Cumbria are now utilising the power of improved connectivity to increase sales, work more efficiently and showcase what they have to offer on a worldwide platform.

More than 94% of homes and businesses across the county can now access superfast broadband speeds of above 30Mbps with 42% now able to access gigabit speeds.

Over 80% of superfast capable properties have chosen to upgrade but there are still thousands of Cumbrians who may not realise that they are able to order faster broadband services. 

There are also opportunities to use greater mobile connectivity around the county with current outdoor 4G geographic coverage levels standing at over 90% from at least one mobile provider and 64% from all 4 major UK network providers. Mobile connectivity has been used by many Cumbrian businesses to provide their services flexibly and some businesses use 4G as their main digital connectivity route. 

Read the full press release here.