Fibre Provider's Weekly Update

Fibre Provider enables the spectrum of organisations driving the UK’s fibre rollout to keep up to date with the latest commercial, regulatory and planning news. As part of this mission, our weekly newsletter compiles the top news that broke during the week and brings it straight to your inbox.

Don't forget to 'subscribe' at the top of this page to receive this essential industry update.

In this week's news...

Wessex Internet begins £33.5m Project Gigabit contract

Wessex Internet has started work to bring full fibre broadband to communities across Dorset and south Somerset that will help connect 21,400 residents.

With the design and planning stage of this five-year contract awarded in April now completed, construction has kicked off in Halstock, Dorset.

This is the start of an extensive programme of build providing broadband to rural communities across south and west Dorset and South Somerset that would otherwise be left behind.

This £33.5 million contract is Wessex Internet’s largest Project Gigabit contract to date.

In Dorset, the build will extend to rural communities surrounding Swanage, Dorchester, Sherborne, and Beaminster.

Meanwhile, the south Somerset rollout will reach rural areas close to Crewkerne and Ilminster along its western boundary, with Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet and Bruton on its north-eastern edge.

Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “The upgrades will help support our mission to kickstart economic growth and break down barriers to opportunity."

Gigaclear boosts customer base by nearly half in 2024

Gigaclear is celebrating a record year of growth, following connecting more than 130,000 customers to its network, with over 40,000 connected in 2024 alone.

This means that the altnet provider has increased its customer base by almost 50 percent in just one year, representing a period of significant growth for the company.

Nick Rawlings , Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Reaching the milestone of 130,000 customers is a huge achievement.

“We have continued to invest in building our network in hard-to-reach places adding a further 100,000 properties in 2024, which now means we have over 580,000 properties Ready for Service.”

Fibre Forecast sessions - Winter programme

Fibreprovider.net is pleased to announce details of our sponsored programme of ‘Fibre Forecasts’, providing fibreprovider.net readers with insights into the challenges, opportunities, strategies, and technologies shaping the UK fibre sector in 2025 and beyond.

These roundtable sessions bring together industry experts to discuss the key issues and innovations driving the UK fibre sector. The insights gained from these discussions form a crucial part of our editorial calendar, appearing on FibreProvider.net, our weekly newsletter, and across social media.

Participant sponsors will have the unique opportunity to showcase their thought leadership and industry expertise.

Fibre Forecast Programme for Winter 2024

• Assessing Wholesale Model Benefits - Exploring how the wholesale landscape is evolving & how altnets can increase customer take-up by leveraging a balanced wholesale portfolio.
• Evolving Recruitment Priorities- How is the sector finding talent as altnets shift from build engines to sales and marketing organisations? Do skill shortages still plague the sector and how can they be navigated?
• Embedding Efficiency - What partnerships can be leveraged by altnets to build efficiency into their continued build or customer addition processes?

For details on how to participate contact Simon Turton or Heather Miles for details.

Quickline milestone marks first foray into apprenticeships

Quickline Communications Limited has taken a significant step in its commitment to nurturing regional talent by welcoming its first cohort of telecoms apprentices, reflecting the company’s dedication to delivering social value as part of its four government-awarded Project Gigabit contracts.

The group of eight, aged from 18 through to mid-40s bring a wide range of experiences to their new roles, after joining the business in October and have already completed the initial phase of their training.

After an intensive induction and training programme, the apprentices are now gaining hands-on experience, shadowing qualified engineers in the field as they install full fibre broadband to rural homes and businesses across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Wendy Hiley (she/her/they/them) , HR and Talent Acquisition Business Partner at Quickline, said: "By offering structured apprenticeships, we’re not only investing in the future talent of our industry but also reinforcing our commitment to the communities we serve.”

The eight apprentices began their journey with a two-day induction, learning about Quickline’s mission and operations, followed by a three-week practical training programme which included mastering key skills such as cabling, pole climbing, and splicing.

Lightning Fibre hits new milestone in Eastbourne

Lightning Fibre has expanded its network in the Old Town area of Eastbourne, marking a new milestone in connecting properties to full fibre, with 27 percent of premises now accessing fast broadband speeds.

Of 7,586 properties located in the Old Town area of Eastbourne, the network has reached now 6,574 (87 percent) of homes and businesses.

This has seen 2,021 households and businesses make the switch, which equates to 31 percent of the connectable premises.

The area went live in August 2021 and was completed in January 2023.

CityFibre rolls out full fibre across Suffolk

CityFibre has connected the first customers in Suffolk to its network, helping more than 80,000 residents across rural areas access full fibre broadband, funded by a £100m award as part of the government’s Project Gigabit. 

The independent network platform is also contributing its own investment to deliver the project and reach more homes and businesses in the area, and CityFibre’s Project Gigabit rollouts are part of the company’s commitment to reach at least 8 million premises nationwide.

CityFibre’s rollout in Suffolk marks the sixth of nine Project Gigabit delivery contracts secured by CityFibre, with customers in Suffolk joining the first customers already online in Cambridge and Norfolk.  

The connections in Suffolk are an important milestone for CityFibre, which is rolling out its 10Gbps-capable full fibre network to over 1.3m premises in Project Gigabit areas, both subsidised premises and through additional CityFibre investment.

Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you back here next Friday for the latest news update. Be sure to subscribe at the top of this newsletter to get your copy.