WightFibre has announced that 57,000 premises on the Isle of Wight can now access its full-fibre broadband service.
Cables have been laid to a further 10,000 homes, with service to those homes scheduled to become available in the next eight months.
Gigabit Island project progress
WightFibre’s Gigabit Island Project is nearing completion, with over 560km of trenches dug to date out of an expected total of 600km.
CEO of WightFibre, John Irvine, expressed his delight at the progress, saying,
“We are delighted to welcome Simon Blagden to the Island to show off our great progress to date.
“Our new full-fibre, future-proof network is second to none on the planet and this, coupled with our very high levels of customer care, is giving customers what they want – fast reliable broadband that just works.”
Government funding and support
To date, the UK government has allocated £10 million in funding as part of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme for the Isle of Wight.
This funding is intended to extend coverage to 24,000 eligible premises in hard-to-reach places.
On-site visits
BDUK Chair Simon Blagden, who is responsible for the roll-out of gigabit-capable broadband in hard-to-reach areas of the UK, visited WightFibre in Totland Bay and Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight.
He witnessed firsthand some of the areas that have benefited from voucher funding, stating,
“We’re rolling out the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit to bring lightning-fast broadband across the UK including to the Isle of Wight.
“We’re seeing great progress to connect hard-to-reach communities and I’m delighted to see firsthand how homes and businesses across the Island are benefiting from improved connectivity thanks to government funding.”
Areas already underway
Thanks to the government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, WightFibre’s Gigabit Island Project is already underway in places like Haven Street, Wroxhall, Chale, and Mottistone.
Service recently became available in Totland Bay, Freshwater Bay, Bembridge, Whitwell, Alverstone, and St Helens.
The UK government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) continues to help people in hard-to-reach communities upgrade their broadband connections.
Up to £4,500 to cover costs
Eligible homes and businesses can apply for up to £4,500 to cover the costs of a gigabit-capable connection, making the Isle of Wight an even more connected community.
