Quickline Communications will roll out its full fibre broadband services to around 108,000 homes and businesses across rural Yorkshire and Lincolnshire will soon get access to lightning-fast broadband after securing two new contracts under government’s national rollout to hard-to-reach areas.
Quickline won the two contracts, which provide a combined £190 million to connect hard-to-reach premises in the East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (approximately 72,000 premises) and North Yorkshire (approximately 36,000 premises), under government’s Project Gigabit programme.
It means the provider, which is based in the East Riding of Yorkshire, has now been awarded all the Yorkshire contracts, as well as the majority of Lincolnshire. As a result of the investment, Quickline will also expand its commercial network to a further 107,000 premises in these rural areas.
Project Gigabit is a government-funded programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access fast, gigabit-capable broadband. It targets homes and businesses that are not included in broadband suppliers’ commercial plans, reaching parts of the UK that might otherwise miss out on upgrades.
Work has already started to connect a further 60,000 funded premises in rural Yorkshire under two previously announced Project Gigabit contracts, both of which were awarded to Quickline.
This brings the total public investment in full fibre broadband delivered by Quickline to almost £300 million. All four contracts will bring full fibre broadband with public funding to almost 170,000 premises and, in total, some 360,000 rural homes and businesses which are in need of improved connectivity, when adding in Quickline’s associated commercial build.
Quickline CEO, Sean Royce, said, “The award of these latest contracts underlines our position as the primary Project Gigabit broadband provider in rural Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
“We have now won all four contracts we have bid for, making us the UK’s second largest Project Gigabit regional delivery partner and the only provider to be awarded a contract serving England’s largest county, Yorkshire, under the programme.
“We are a regionally focused provider, and through our work as part of the Project Gigabit programme and beyond, we’re laser focused on delivering on our mission to connect rural communities to a world of possibilities when it comes to having access to fast and reliable broadband and our desire to make a positive social impact and create economic growth for these rural areas.”
Digital infrastructure minister, Chris Bryant, said, "Accelerating the rollout of fast broadband and modernising the country’s digital infrastructure is crucial to kickstarting an era of sustained economic growth in every part of the UK.
“Our £190 million investment in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire will heal the headache of endless buffering felt by too many in rural communities, while building the infrastructure needed to attract new investment and ensure the benefits of digital technology reverberate across every corner of the country.”
Work in the areas covered by the two new contracts is underway with communities near Settle in North Yorkshire and North Kelsey in Lincolnshire among the first set to benefit from the availability of Quickline’s full fibre network.
The first of the two new contracts covers large areas of rural North Yorkshire, from around the seaside towns of Whitby and Scarborough, across to Knaresborough and onto Settle, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. The second new contract covers the East Riding of Yorkshire and large parts of Lincolnshire, as well as North and North East Lincolnshire, and includes the rural communities of Holme upon Spalding Moor, Kilham and Easington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, as well as villages and hamlets down to Long Sutton in the Lincolnshire Fens, close to the Norfolk and Cambridgeshire borders.
The awarding of the two new contracts will also enable Quickline to broaden its commitment to skills, training and community support under its extensive social values programme.
Quickline’s core purpose is underpinned by its QFutures programme, designed to make a positive impact on communities, focusing on educating people, enriching livelihoods and enhancing the environments where it builds.
As part of Project Gigabit, Quickline has committed to create more than 200 apprenticeships in the areas covered by the contracts through collaboration with build partners, as well as delivering more than 2,500 accredited training courses and online work experience for 1,400 students.
Other social values initiatives include:
• A digital inclusion scheme providing funds and training for digital champions.
• A tablet-lending scheme, with uses ranging from schoolwork and job hunting to Universal Credit applications.
• Tree planting and protection with the Woodland Trust as part of the Northern Forest project.
• Climate change awareness workshops with schools.
Quickline is a provider for government’s fibre connectivity programme, designed to tackle the digital divide between urban and rural areas, and deliver gigabit-capable broadband to those that need it most.
Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for IT at Lincolnshire County Council, said, “It is great news that we have a successful bidder in Quickline for Project Gigabit Lot 23.
“With this latest round of bidding now secured, it will mean that the vast majority of rural premises not currently upgraded to gigabit connectivity will soon be able to get a high-speed connection.
“This is a valuable part of our continuing improvement of high-speed broadband connections for Lincolnshire and will be an equally valuable asset for residents and businesses alike.”
Cllr David Tucker, deputy leader for East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said, "The East Riding of Yorkshire is currently in a strong position with 86 per cent gigabit-capable broadband coverage. This has been achieved through both public and commercial investment.
“However, there are still residents and businesses for whom a reliable, fast broadband connection is a challenge, especially in rural areas.
“Delivery of many commercial and public services is increasingly dependent on good quality internet access, and it is also critical to the delivery of the Council's digital strategy.”
North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said, “To have such a large part of the county benefiting from one of the new contracts is really significant, with communities from Scarborough to Settle set to see improvements under the investment.”