Rural communities must not be left behind in fibre broadband rollouts: Conal Henry

Improved digital connectivity plays a key role in socio-economic development.

High-speed broadband impacts directly on economic output, increasing productivity in firms which have it and enabling employment in areas which would otherwise be marginalised.

Without world class digital infrastructure, it is just about impossible for rural and regional areas to compete in the new global marketplace. With it, these areas can leapfrog their less agile locations.

Since Fibrus launched in 2019, we have rolled out at speed reaching over 300,000 homes and over 700,000 citizens, in rural and regional areas of the UK, over the next four years, and we aim to reach one million homes supporting nearly 2.5million people.

We recently announced the next phase of our rollout which will target 125,000 more homes in North East England.

Our mission is to level up rural communities which have been left behind.

Much of our work is connecting rural homes and businesses to a full fibre network for the first time, giving people living in rural communities the same opportunities they would have in cities.

This technology is a foundation upon which growth and equality can be built.

Connectivity enables individuals to realise ambitions and communities to survive and thrive even in hard-to-reach places.

We focus on customers and communities at a hyperlocal level and aim to create a virtuous circle. We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver fast, reliable broadband at prices consumers can afford.

While we grow, we have kept the environment at the core of our focus, to keep disruption to a minimum.

We have committed to be Net Zero by 2040 and committed to suite of social and environmental initiatives.

We have invested funds in Cumbria this year to address digital poverty and support grassroots clubs. We recently rolled out in Workington, Cumbria, and invested in the local rugby club enabling it to launch a new women’s team. While we’re bringing towns in North England high speed connections, we’re also putting money back into the community. We believe in connected communities.

We are proud to employ and utilise the people and skills from the area we are investing in and where there is a gap in skills provision, we are establishing skills academies to develop those skills and contribute to the economic and social improvement of rural areas.

We recently launched a new apprentice scheme in Cumbria, with 90 new apprentices starting in September 2023. The apprentices are based at a new training academy in Newton Rigg, with trainees set to gain formal telecoms qualifications, alongside in-class training, equipping them with the skills and expertise needed to take up long-term careers in the telecoms industry.

By working together with local people, we can unleash the full potential of the North.

Conal Henry is Founder & Chair of Fibrus