The deal will subsidise the rollout of a full fibre network to more than 28,000 hard-to-reach rural homes and businesses across the West Yorkshire and York area, including communities in North and East Yorkshire, which have been left behind by commercial rollouts.
Communities to be connected include those surrounding Selby, York, Bradford, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield, Harrogate, Skipton, Ripon, Keighley, Calder Valley, Stamford Bridge and Pocklington.
Built using XGS-PON technology, capable of supporting speeds of up to 10Gbps, Quickline’s full fibre network will enable its ISP partners to serve customers with far faster and more reliable broadband services than legacy copper-based networks.
As part of the contract, Yorkshire-based Quickline has also committed to an extensive social values programme to educate, enrich and enhance the region by generating jobs and providing training, including creating apprenticeships and accredited training courses.
Through new partnerships with organisations such as STEM Learning, Tech She Can and the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Quickline will invest in a series of learning and engagement initiatives for thousands of students to develop a sustainable and skilled workforce and enable growth in the region.
The contract has been secured by Quickline following a competitive public procurement process and totals £60 million of government subsidy.
Quickline will make further private investment alongside Project Gigabit to roll out its full fibre network to an additional 58,000 premises.
Project Gigabit is the government-backed programme to connect hard-to-reach areas. The rollout of Project Gigabit is overseen by Building Digital UK – an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Sean Royce, CEO at Quickline, said, "We are extremely proud to be chosen as a delivery partner to the government for rural connectivity.
"Our mission at Quickline is to connect the unconnected to a world of possibilities by building a fast and reliable broadband network for rural communities.
"Project Gigabit is transformational and we are thrilled to play our part in changing the lives of people living in rural West Yorkshire, alongside parts of North and East Yorkshire.
"But this is about more than just broadband; we’re passionate about supporting rural communities, driving economic growth, creating jobs and helping to build the future digital workforce.
"We recognise the importance of aligning industry, primary schools, communities, parents and higher and further education to ensure future skills meet future needs, and we want to inspire and energise the next generation."
Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, said, "We’ve hit a huge milestone in connecting a million homes and businesses in hard-to-reach communities across the country to fast, reliable broadband. In a huge boost for Yorkshire, Quickline can now get started on work to connect communities in rural areas in many parts of the county, improving lives for residents, helping businesses grow and supporting the economy."