The Northern Ireland-based provider will connect up to 60,000 rural homes and businesses in Cumbria which might have otherwise missed out on upgrades to faster gigabit speeds.
This contract covers rural towns, villages and hamlets across the region from Grasmere to Gilsland. Fibrus will begin construction of the network immediately with the first connections anticipated by the spring.
This investment will create new apprenticeship and employment opportunities within Cumbria, with Fibrus to create at least 90 apprenticeships over the next three years.
Those apprenticeships will cover a range of roles from underground and overhead cabling to surveying. The company will also invest £50,000 to establish an apprentice training academy near Penrith.
Dominic Kearns, CEO of Fibrus, said, “This win helps us further our mission and commitment to bring fast, reliable and affordable broadband to all.”
Kearns added that this “transformative project” will change the lives of people living in rural and regional areas. He said the company is committed to supporting local communities through helping “more people to reap the benefits of full fibre”.
More areas including Cornwall, Hampshire, Shropshire, Telford, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk are all in line for contract awards by summer 2023.