A £43m contract has been awarded to extend full fibre broadband access to thousands of rural homes and businesses in Cheshire. Freedom Fibre has secured the contract as part of the government’s Project Gigabit initiative.

As a result, 15,000 hard-to-reach homes and businesses will gain access to broadband capable of delivering the fastest speeds on the market. Project Gigabit is a £5bn nationwide rollout aimed at areas that would have been overlooked in the industry’s rollout of gigabit-capable broadband.

Freedom Fibre will begin with a period of detailed design and survey work, with construction expected to start in early 2025. The project will cover remote villages such as Kingswood, Allostock, and Minshull Vernon.

Neil McArthur, founder and chief executive of Freedom Fibre, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this contract, increasing full-fibre coverage across Cheshire and further strengthening our relationship with Building Digital UK and local authorities across the county. This investment in full-fibre will end over 100 years of copper-based services and unleash untold potential for homes and businesses across Cheshire.”

Julia Lopez, minister for data and digital infrastructure, added: “Homes and businesses in rural Cheshire not covered by broadband suppliers’ plans will get access to the fastest internet speeds available, thanks to this latest contract under the government’s Project Gigabit. This government’s investment in lightning-fast upgrades will benefit hard-to-reach communities all over the county, boosting productivity in local industries and helping households to stream, work, and play without a hitch.”

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