'Milestone' as rural broadband provider Quickline connects over 10,000 homes in Yorkshire
Rural internet provider Quickline has announced a major milestone in its broadband rollout across South and West Yorkshire, with over 10,000 rural homes and businesses now connected.
Quickline was awarded the contracts for West Yorkshire and the York area, as well as South Yorkshire, in 2024 under the UK Government’s Project Gigabit programme.
The Government funded programme aims to enable hard-to-reach communities to access fast, reliable, gigabit-capable broadband, reaching parts of the UK that could otherwise miss out on upgrades.
Telecoms Minister, Chris Bryant, said: “Quickline’s exceptional progress in Yorkshire shows what can be achieved when government and industry work together to tackle digital inequality.
“By exceeding these first milestones and connecting over 10,000 government-funded properties ahead of schedule, we’re already delivering on our commitment to level up digital infrastructure across the country.”
Quicklines Project Gigabit contracts each include a phased delivery target.
By the end of March 2025, the firm was required to connect 6,273 funded premises in West Yorkshire and the York area.
This target was surpassed, with 6,426 homes and businesses connected, including premises in Harden, near Bingley and Bradshaw, near Thornton.
In South Yorkshire, the firm has already surpassed its first milestone of 3,621 addresses, which was due to be completed by the end of June.
Communities connected through the scheme include Barnby Dun, near Doncaster, Ealand, Keadby, and Todwick.
When including addresses Quickline has reached as part of its commercial build across rural West and South Yorkshire, as well as those reached through Project Gigabit, the firm had connected 30,000 to gigabit-capable connectivity.
Dan Hague, Project Gigabit delivery director at Quickline, said: “These contracts are complex by nature, often involving challenging rural builds and limited existing infrastructure. That’s why we’re proud to not only hit, but exceed, our first milestones – particularly so in South Yorkshire.
“We’re still in the early stages of our Project Gigabit contracts and have a long way to go, and we remain focused on staying on track and delivering the broadband connectivity that rural communities across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire need and deserve.
“Thanks to the commitment of our teams and build partners, we’re connecting thousands of premises and making real progress on closing the digital divide.”
Quickline customer Colin Walker, who lives in the hamlet of Willitoft to the South of York, said: “If you can’t access decent internet nowadays, you are just left behind and forgotten - so being connected to full fibre broadband has made a massive difference to us.”