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Welcome to the July 2025 edition of the Connecting Cumbria newsletter.
This edition looks at fixed line broadband and mobile connectivity updates across the county, provides an update on the Borderlands 5G Innovation Region programme, points readers to information on the Ofcom complaints resolution for telecoms customers and social tariffs for broadband and phone packages, provides the latest information on the Cumbria Digital Infrastructure Strategy 2026-2030 and showcases how two local businesses are using online connectivity to support what they do.
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
The UK Government Project Gigabit Programme is seeking to expand gigabit capable broadband to over 99% of UK properties by 2032 through a combination of commercially funded deployment and public funded interventions.
The main public funded intervention in Cumbria is the Project Gigabit regional contract between Building Digital UK (BDUK) and their supplier Fibrus which continues to deploy across Cumbria.
In support of the Project Gigabit contract in Cumbria, Fibrus are committed to enhancing community development through direct sponsorships. Their aim is to support and provide crucial funding for communities and local initiatives. Whether it is supporting vibrant village halls, impactful community projects or the wide variety of summer shows, their funding is fighting to keep these going. Fibrus are currently on a mission to spread the word across Cumbria on this, ensuring the whole county has the opportunity to benefit.
Those applying are required to complete a sponsorship application form explaining how their project will align with Fibrus’ sponsorship criteria for consideration by their grants panel. To express your interest, please email enquire@hyperfastGB.com
To find out more about Project Gigabit deployment across Cumbria and what Fibrus are doing, please visit the Hyperfast GB website and the Hyperfast GB Facebook page.
In support of the UK Government target of expanding gigabit capable broadband to over 99% of UK properties by 2032, a number of commercial programmes of works continue to be delivered across Cumbria.
Find out which companies are currently offering enhanced services in your area using the Ofcom broadband checker tool.
Ofcom’s new ‘map your mobile’ checker shows which network offers the best 4G or 5G signal where you need it most. Once you put in your postcode, you’ll get two sets of information:
Coverage. This shows whether a 4G/5G signal is available locally, either indoors or outdoors, and whether the signal is likely to be good or variable. The results are shown on a map so you can move around and zoom in.
Performance. This is the likelihood that you can stream video on your phone when you’re in your local area - that’s the district covered by the first bit of your postcode.
To find out more and access this tool, click here.
When the Borderlands 5G Innovation Region set out to deploy advanced wireless infrastructure to some of the UK’s most remote and beautiful tourist destinations, the goal was clear: to create a platform for long-term growth. A platform that improves services for residents, strengthens the rural tourism economy, and delivers better connectivity where it’s needed most.
That platform is already operational and will soon be available for local authorities, community partners, and businesses to connect. Read more about it in the Programme's latest blog post here.
In Windermere, the delivery team are providing an opportunity for interested parties to come along and view the new 5G technology being used at the Windermere Ferry on Friday 10th October 2025. Those interested are urged to keep this date free; further information and details of how to book your attendance will be made available in the September edition of this newsletter.
You can find out more about this programme by visiting the Borderlands 5G Innovation Region programme web page here.
Telecoms customers (residential and small business consumers) will be able to escalate their unresolved complaints to an independent dispute resolution scheme sooner, under strengthened Ofcom rules.
Find out more here.
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.
They’re delivered in the same way as normal packages, just at a lower price. Amid rising living costs, Ofcom is encouraging companies to offer social tariffs to help customers on low incomes.
Find out more here
Digital connectivity, both fixed line and mobile connectivity, is critical to facilitating the Cumbria Economic Strategy 2025, Cumbria’s ambitions for devolution, the Council priorities of both Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Councils and the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. Delivery of connectivity cannot happen without digital infrastructure.
Cumbria’s current Digital Infrastructure Strategy is due to end in December 2025 and the Connecting Cumbria team have been working to develop a proposal for the Digital Infrastructure Strategy 2026-2030.
In support of this, Members from both Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council are invited to an online event Friday 26 September which will introduce Members to the draft strategy and seek comments that will be used to refine the final proposal for consideration by the Cumbria Joint Executive Committee.
Overlooking the villages of Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket, the Hudscales Camping Barn is situated on a working beef and sheep farm, offering great access to the Northern Fells, the Cumbria Way and Reivers Cycle Routes. With accommodation for up to 12 people, the barn offers a stay you will never forget.
We talked to Elizabeth Cowx who manages the camping barn on the family run farm about how online connectivity supports what they do.
Read more here.
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Nestled in the heart of the Eden Valley, Briggle Farm invites you to enter a world where the wild meets the wonderful. Here, amid the rolling meadows, you can wander through vibrant flowers, handpick your own blooms, and carry home a piece of Cumbria’s beauty.
We talked to Joseph Kidd who, alongside his family, will open their farm at weekends 10am-6pm from Saturday 2nd August allowing visitors to explore their vibrant wildflower meadows, handpick their own wildflowers and enjoy local food and drink, and the importance of online connectivity in supporting what they do.
Read the full story here.
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We are looking to talk to businesses from across Cumbria who are using fixed line or mobile connectivity to support what they do and who would be interested in becoming our next case study story.
If you would like to get involved, benefiting from local and possible national publicity through our programme, then please contact the team at info@connectingcumbria.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.
You can now follow the team on social media for all the latest news and information regarding connectivity across Cumbria.
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