Government plans to subsidise gigabit internet in hard-to-reach rural areas of Yorkshire

“Project Gigabit” promises to roll out gigabit internet to 195,000 premises in hard-to-reach rural areas currently plagued by slow connections, that would otherwise have been left behind in commercial companies’ plans.

Up to 62,000 properties in South Yorkshire will get connected to far higher speeds at a cost of £61 million to £103 million. Meanwhile up to 133,000 premises in West Yorkshire and parts of North Yorkshire will benefit through a £128 million to £218 million investment. Contracts will go out to tender in November 2022, with work scheduled to begin in October 2023.

No investment was announced for East Yorkshire, but the government said more areas in Yorkshire are planned with more details to be announced in due course.

The government, which announced the first phases of the project earlier this year, say it will accelerate the country’s recovery from the pandemic and “fire up high-growth sectors” like technology and the creative industries.

Commercial providers have driven a rapid roll out of gigabit broadband - up from one in ten households in 2019 to more than two in five today. It is expected that 60 per cent of households will have access to gigabit speeds by the end of this year.

It comes amid expectations that millions of employees will carry on working at least part of the week from home in future, after a dramatic Covid-led shift in working patterns.

Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said the gigabit project was at the heart of plans to “level up the regions”.

He said: “Thousands of rural communities across Yorkshire will get access to lightning-fast gigabit broadband through this targeted funding which will mean people across the county have the freedom to live and work flexibly and seize the benefits of modern technology.”

Matt Gladstone, Executive Director for Place at Barnsley Council and Superfast South Yorkshire Project Sponsor, said: “This is fantastic news for the South Yorkshire region. The availability of gigabit broadband is vital. It is a huge investment improving connectivity for residents and making South Yorkshire an even more attractive place to live and do business, bringing new investment to the region.”

Danny Hall, manager at Wolds Way Lavender and Nature Farm at Wintringham, said it was welcome news, and they would have to “wait and see if the government delivers”. He said: “Our Internet connection at our workplace is considerably slower than in Malton where we live and it causes frustration and delay, compared to an equivalent business which has a faster connection.”

Last week Virgin Media O2 announced plans to upgrade more than 14 million homes and businesses to full fibre broadband over the next seven years, as it steps up competition against BT.

Ultrafast fibre technology will be laid alongside existing cables in underground tunnels, costing around £100 per property.