Project Gigabit is a £5 billion government infrastructure project aimed at delivering fast and reliable gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses in the hardest-to-reach parts of the UK. The project falls within the scope of work carried out by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and is managed on a day-to-day basis by Building Digital UK (BDUK).
How is Suffolk benefiting?
On 1 July, it was announced that the contract for Suffolk, representing a £100 million investment in Suffolk, has been awarded by BDUK to CityFibre to provide new high speed Gigabit broadband capabilities.
This is great news for Suffolk business and residents. For further details, please read the Government press release.
Commonly asked questions about this project:
Is this project managed by Suffolk County Council?
No – this project is managed by BDUK who in turn have contracted CityFibre to do the actual work of installing the cabling. Suffolk County Council is being consulted on the progress of this project and is working with BDUK to help make it a success.
Will this project result in any road closures or highways disruption in my area?
Any work which involves the installation of new hardware or cabling may result in some limited disruption to roads and highways. BDUK and CityFibre are committed to keeping disruption to a minimum, but in order to get the benefits of faster broadband, there may be some short term disruption. If you want to find out more about road closures or diversions where you live visit https://one.network/
What sort of new infrastructure can we expect to see in the areas being connected?
Cabling is routed through cabinets which house the technology necessary to connect to the wider network, from there cables run underground to premises and businesses. BDUK and CityFibre are aware of our commitment to protect the Suffolk Environment.
Why have you missed out my area and we don’t have broadband yet?
The decision on where to build gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure is managed by BDUK and not by Suffolk County Council.
Alongside Project Gigabit, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is responsible for a voucher scheme to increase gigabit-capable connectivity in rural areas - read more about the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. (Note: This scheme is paused in Suffolk, whilst the mobilisation phase of Project Gigabit is undertaken).
Through Openreach’s Fibre Community Partnerships, areas that are not included in any fibre roll-out plans can get advice and support to bring fibre broadband to their area - read more about Fibre Community Partnership schemes.
The broadband universal service obligation (USO) gives people in the UK the right to request a decent and affordable broadband connection. Under the USO, eligible homes and businesses will be able to request a connection where the cost of building it is no more than £3,400 – read more about the broadband universal service obligation.
If fibre broadband is already available for you, you might want to consider finding out more about social tariffs, which are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. The Ofcom website offers advice about social tariffs.
Where can I find out more information?
The CityFibre Project Gigabit information page is here.
