Quickline Communications has rolled out its broadband network to a further 4,500 homes and businesses across rural West Yorkshire and the York area.
The rollout is part of the government-funded Project Gigabit programme aimed at improving the region’s economic growth while addressing the digital divide affecting remote areas.
Communities in rural West Yorkshire and areas surrounding York, including the villages of Escrick, Crofton, Elvington, Sutton upon Derwent and Wheldrake, can now receive the gigabit-capable broadband service under a £60 million government contract awarded to Quickline earlier this year.
The Project Gigabit contract will fund connections for more than 28,000 hard-to-reach rural properties across the region once completed, with thousands more set to benefit through additional commercial rollout by Quickline.Project Gigabit is the government-funded programme targeting areas that would be too expensive to be connected to gigabit broadband through commercial rollout because of their remote location.
Residents and business owners in the region, many who struggle to carry out basic online tasks due to outdated broadband infrastructure, will receive major internet speed upgrades providing access to gigabit-capable, full fibre broadband.
This is one of four contracts awarded to Quickline to provide broadband to more than 170,000 premises across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.More than 1,725 premises in West Yorkshire and the York area have so far received access to gigabit-capable broadband through Project Gigabit funding, with the remaining premises delivered as part of Quickline’s commercial efforts.
Quickline is also committed to delivering social value across West Yorkshire. With a focus on educating young people, the company has established a partnership with The Lighthouse Futures Trust in Leeds to provide digital skills workshops to support students with learning difficulties to transition into the workforce. These workshops focus on essential skills such as writing emails and creating LinkedIn profiles.
This week Quickline participated in the Leeds Digital Festival Careers Fair, offering young people advice and information about employment in the telecommunications industry. The company has also put on interactive Digger Day events for primary school children in the area, educating them about the construction of the full fibre broadband network and its importance in their communities.
Sean Royce, Quickline CEO, said, “We’re proud to be delivering gigabit capable broadband to rural communities in West Yorkshire and the York area through the government’s Project Gigabit programme. Our mission is to connect these areas quickly and make a lasting impact.“Access to reliable broadband is essential, and we are committed to helping our customers thrive in the digital world – not only through the deployment of full fibre but also through our broader social value programme.”
Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said, “Thousands of rural households, businesses and students in this region can now enjoy better connectivity without having to battle for bandwidth with neighbours or other family members to stream video and music or download big files crucial for work and education.
“The digital divide affecting a region as bursting in opportunities as Yorkshire is unacceptable. Since my appointment, I have made it one of my highest priorities to plug digital gaps, and the government and I have vowed to achieve nationwide gigabit coverage by 2030.
“It is fantastic to mark a new step towards this journey and start delivering the connectivity the region deserves to thrive and compete.”