Connecting Cumbria came into being in 2012 when Cumbria became the pilot for the Broadband Delivery UK Superfast Programme, working in partnership with BT and subsequently Openreach to deliver fibre broadband services across Cumbria. Connecting Cumbria has since evolved and is now the key driver for the county Digital Infrastructure Strategy, as it continues to drive all aspects of Digital Connectivity and ensure maximum coverage across Cumbria.
FAQ
What is Connecting Cumbria?
What are the different types of technology used to provide broadband?
Find out about the different methods of broadband provision here
How can I find out if the UK Government Project Gigabit programme will benefit my property?
This up to £108m gigabit-capable broadband scheme will improve connectivity across our county through targeting up to 60,000 properties that are not expected to be reached through commercial deployment programmes.
You can follow all the latest news and find out all the latest deployment information via the Hyperfast GB website where you are now able to check the status of your property using the check availability tab.
How do I find out more about commercial deployment of broadband provisions across Cumbria?
There is a strong commercial programme of works by a number of providers to further enhance connectivity across our region with these programmes expected to reach more than 200,000 properties.
Find out which companies are currently offering services in your area using the Ofcom broadband checker tool
Commercial plans and their deployment is an evolving picture which continues to be monitored across Cumbria. Much of the data is strictly regulated and heavily caveated as commercially sensitive. Part of the role of the Connecting Cumbria team is to monitor the delivery of commercial programmes to ensure that if a property is not reached through these deployments, that they are not left behind by the UK Government Project Gigabit programme or that a solution is still developed to meet their connectivity needs through some other means.
Can you tell me more about the 5G Innovation Region Programme?
Following the announcement that Borderlands has been named as one of the ten 5G Innovation Regions by UK Government, work continues to progress the procurement process to appoint a supplier to the programme. The supplier is expected to be appointed summer 2024.
Representatives from each fo the five local authorities in England and Scotland which make up the Borderlands Partnership (Cumberland Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Northumberland County Council, Scottish Borders Council and Westmorland and Furness Council) continue to develop the plan of works for the five initial sites across the Borderlands area. These sites are:
- Windermere 5G Ferry
- Kielder Castle and Forest
- Stranraer Marina
- The Sill @ Hadrian's Wall
- Destination Tweed
5G is a critical emerging technology which will create a rage of opportunities for business, leisure, transport, service delivery and safety. We are continuing to look at the opportunities across Cumbria to ensure that Cumbria is positioned to maximise benefits from this technology for our businesses, residents and visitors.
You can find out more via the following information sources:
Borderlands 5G Innovation Region - please click here
5G New Thinking - please click here
Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator 5G - please click here
UK TIN 5G Benefits and 5G Safety - please click here
Are there plans to improve the mobile connectivity in my area and will i be effected by the switching off the UK`s 3G mobile networks?
Mobile Network Operators and Government are working together to transform mobile coverage countywide through the UK Government Shared Rural Network Mobile Programme, which is seeking to deliver 95% geographical 4G coverage in the UK from at lease one Mobile Network Operator by 2025. The Connecting Cumbria team are committed to supporting this piece of work. You can keep up with all the latest developments here.
You can find out more about current mobile connectivity in your area using the Ofcom mobile availability checker here.
The UK's mobile services currently use four difference 'generations' of mobile technology: 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G. The 3G networks have been around since 2023 and are used to deliver calls, texts and lower speed data services.
The mobile providers have decided to switch off their 3G networks, starting from early this year. This will affect customers on those networks using older mobile devices and services. If you have a 4G or 5G mobile device or service, this change is unlikely to affect you and may only require a software or settings update.
Find out more here
What can you tell me about the move of landline phones to digital technology?
The technology that many people use to make landline phone calls is being upgraded over the next few years.
Landline phone calls have traditionally been delivered over a network known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). This network is old and becoming harder and more expensive to maintain and therefore needs to be replaced.
Replacing the PSTN will ensure we continue to have reliable home phone services.
In order for this upgrade to be successful, there are a number of points which continue to be considered. The Which article on digital voice and the landline phone switch off provides some useful information on this.
What is a UPRN and how do I update for my property?
Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRN) are the unique identifiers for every addressable location in Great Britain. You can find out more about UPRNs at Unique Property Reference Number | Power of UPRN | GeoPlace LLPand you can look up a property’s UPRN at https://www.findmyaddress.co.uk/search
Property information associated to a UPRN should be kept up to date via a range of processes but sometimes properties that are occupied can be misclassified as:
• Demolished
• Planning permission granted
• Under construction
• Unoccupied / Vacant / Derelict
If this has happened, then it can prevent that property being considered for the targeting of public funding through voucher schemes or other broadband improvement programmes.
If your property has been misclassified then please use the Errors and Omissions process which is managed by Ordnance Survey - https://osdatahub.os.uk/errorsAndOmissions – you will need to register for an Ordinance Survey login but this is a free process. Ordinance Survey will then pass your query to the appropriate Planning Authority who will investigate and update the UPRN data as appropriate.
If you wish to contact your planning authority directly with respect to your property’s UPRN then please use the following contacts and mark for the attention of the ‘Local Land & Property Gazetteer Custodian’:
Cumberland Council - Development.Control3@cumberland.gov.uk
Westmorland and Furness Council - NLPG@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk