Connecting Cumbria Newsletter January 2025

In Cumbria, following the UK Government award of the Project Gigabit contract to Fibrus Ltd, deployment work is firmly under way across the county.  This contract is providing wholesale services on the publicly funded infrastructure under the brand Hyperfast GB and has to date served over 8,000 properties across our county.

As we start the new year, deployment is continuing at pace and we expect to see the number of properties being able to order services on this new infrastructure to continue to grow.  Building Digital UK, an Executive Agency sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology that manage this contract with their supplier Fibrus, are currently reviewing the Project Gigabit programme in Cumbria with the expectation of releasing additional properties for deployment.  We anticipate hearing the outcome of this review over the coming months.

Alongside their deployment work under the Project Gigabit contract, Hyperfast GB have attended numerous events and venues in 2024 to raise the profile of the contract. They are also enhancing community development through the direct sponsorship of community projects, providing employment and training opportunities, and supporting conservation work through their partnership with the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. We expect this work to continue throughout this year.

To follow all the latest developments regarding Project Gigabit across Cumbria or to check the status of your property using their postcode checking tool, readers are urged to follow the Hyperfast GB website and their Facebook page.

Significant private investment has been attracted to Cumbria in the past couple of years and there is a strong commercial programme of works by a number of suppliers to further enhance connectivity across our county.

These programmes are investing over £300m with works expected to reach more than 200,000 properties.  During 2024, commercial deployment served an additional 50,000 properties across the county.  The UK Government target that at least 85% of properties around the UK be covered through gigabit capable infrastructure by a mix of different network companies by the end of 2025 has already been achieved and exceeded. However a lot more work is needed to achieve the UK Government target for coverage to all properties in the UK by the end of 2033.   

To find out which network operators are in your area please check your postcode here. 

This checker will let you input your postcode, you will then be prompted to select your full postal address to check the picture for properties across the UK. At the foot of the results, showing the speeds available to your premise, is a section advising of the network operators available in your area with links to their websites to find out more information.

The Shared Rural Network (SRN) is a UK Government programme jointly funded with mobile network operators to improve mobile coverage in rural areas.

The most recently received Ofcom coverage data estimates outdoor coverage from at least 1 mobile network operator at over 93% of Cumbria and coverage from all 4 main networks at over 75%.

In November 2024 it was announced that 26 government-funded mast upgrades had been activated across Cumbria as part of the Shared Rural Network programme. Once these are fully integrated into Mobile Networks, residents, local businesses, community organisations and visitors in areas including Roadhead, Roweltown, Bewcastle and the Solway Coast will be able to take advantage of better connectivity.

The UK Government Shared Rural Network mobile infrastructure programme is seeking to deliver further improvements via its works with a target of 95% geographical 4G coverage in the UK from at least one Mobile Network Operator by the end of 2025 combined with extensive commercial investment by all four major networks to increase services in areas of partial coverage.

Readers can find out all the latest news via the SRN Website.

5G is a critical emerging technology which will create a range of opportunities for business, leisure, transport, service delivery and safety.  We are continuing to look at opportunities across Cumbria to support deployment of 5G to ensure that Cumbria is positioned to maximise benefits from this technology for our businesses, residents and visitors.

Readers are directed to the below information sources to find out more:

5G New Thinking – please click here.

Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator 5G – please click here.

The Borderlands 5G Innovation Region Programme is one way in which the team are supporting use of 5G technology in the county.  At the end of 2023, it was announced that the Borderlands had been named as one of the ten 5G Innovation Regions by UK Government.  Since this announcement, a procurement process led to the award of a lead supplier contract to AWTG Ltd who have been making significant progress with the delivery of innovative 5G solutions across the five sites identified in the Borderlands area:

• Windermere 5G Ferry
• Kielder Castle and Forest
• Stranraer Marina
• The Sill @ Hadrian’s Wall
• Destination Tweed

In Cumbria the focus for initial investment is the Ferry Nab area of Windermere where 5G connectivity will support the operations of the ferry crossing, enhance public safety and support facilities management.  This will create the opportunity to develop new ways of delivering connectivity to passengers, the local community and local businesses around the initial deployment area including parts of Bowness.

In support of the engagement around this programme of work, in the latter part of 2024, the team attended events in Bowness on Windermere and Kielder Observatory where representatives from Connecting Cumbria and AWTG Ltd were able to demonstrate some of the advanced wireless technology planned for installation and answer any questions.

By end March 2025, the programme will have delivered private 5G network coverage at each of the programme venues listed above.

Readers may be interested in taking a look at the latest video from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on their Future Networks Programme, focussing on Rural Industries which makes reference to the work being carried out by the Borderlands 5G Innovation Region team.

The team are continuing to work with both national and local government to seek ways of further developing this programme of works, bringing greater gains across Cumbria and the wider Borderlands area. To enhance the benefits for this work in Cumbria the Joint Executive Committee, made up of Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council representatives, agreed to to invest £2m of Connecting Cumbria gainshare funds for the further development of advanced wireless technology across Cumbria at their meeting on 27th January 2025.

This investment, funded through the contracts originally set up between Cumbria County Council and BT Plc is available to enhance digital connectivity in Cumbria and will support the expansion of the Borderlands 5G Innovation Region programme, increasing the sustainability and benefits of the current investment.

Read the full story here.

From her work base in Barrow In Furness, Amelia Reid runs the successful businesses of Shot@:Photography and Cumbria Artisans which provide an array of bespoke photography packages and make custom designed and personalised earrings, cake toppers and charms to customers near and far.

We caught up with Amelia, the photographer, designer and entrepreneur behind these great local businesses to find out how her broadband connection supports what she does.

Read the full story here.

Whitehaven based Marsden Makes Co. provides graphic design services to clients in a range of formats from unique gifts to branded merchandise. Abi Marsden, the founder and creator of this local business, has been telling us how much she enjoys working with her clients on a variety of projects to meet their needs and requirements. We talked to Abi about how her fixed line broadband and 4G service supports her in providing the service she does.

Read the full story here.

You can now follow the team on social media for all the latest news and information regarding connectivity across Cumbria.

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