Full fibre
Upgrade to fibre
Since 2012 there have been significant improvements in broadband infrastructure but you can only benefit if you place an order with your chosen Internet Service Provider (ISP). The vast majority of properties in Cumbria can already access superfast broadband speeds of at least 30Megabits per second (Mbps) with many properties now able to access gigabit broadband speeds of up to 1,000Mbps - to see if you could be going faster visit OFCOM broadband checker
People in Cumbria have been demanding faster broadband connections and already know what they will do when they have access to better speeds, but some people may not yet fully appreciate the benefits of an upgraded broadband connection to their home or business.
An upgraded broadband connection provides a faster and more reliable internet connection, enabling multiple users within a home or business premise to access the internet, download documents, music and video and stream high-definition television without buffering – things that may not be possible with a standard broadband connection.
We talked to communities and businesses across the county about how a superfast broadband service has been of benefit to their business. Read their stories in our Connecting Cumbria case studies
Project Gigabit
UK Government is investing £5bn to deliver fast reliable broadband for everyone in the UK and delivering next generation connectivity. The initial target of this programme is for 85% of properties in the UK to be able to access gigabit capable broadband by 2025 with the UK Government committed to reaching 100% by the end of the programme. BDUK project gigabit
Cumbria is the pilot area in the UK Gigabit Programme and has been allocated a budget of up to £109m to extend gigabit capable connections to some of the hardest to reach premises that won’t benefit from commercial deployments. This contract was awarded to Hyperfast GB and delivery is underway; more information can be found at https://www.hyperfastgb.com/Cumbria
Gigabit voucher
Gigabit capable broadband is being delivered across Cumbria by a combination of the UK Government Gigabit Programme and commercial deployment programmes. Now a clear picture of these two strands of delivery has been established showing very good coverage, Building Digital UK are no longer considering any new Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme applications in Cumbria. For more information please visit Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Commercial deployment
It is expected that up to 80% of properties around the UK will be covered through the commercial deployment of new gigabit capable infrastructure by a mix of different network companies by the end of 2025. Many of these companies will be new to you because the market has expanded significantly since 2020. Some of these new networks will be providing their services wholesale to a range of ISPs which you may be familiar with and some will being offering services through their own ISP – this makes shopping to get the right package for you even more important. To find out which network operators are in your area please check your postcode at checker.ofcom.org.uk
The following list of network operators provide access to gigabit capable broadband services in Cumbria. Please note this list may not be exhaustive of all network operators currently providing services and contains only the operators we have been made aware of. If you are a network operator providing gigabit capable services in Cumbria and would like to be added to this list then please contact the team at info@connectingcumbria.org.uk