Gigaclear completes North Oxfordshire build four months ahead of schedule
3,880 homes and businesses across rural North Oxfordshire can now access full fibre ultrafast broadband, four months earlier than planned.
Gigaclear, the UK's leading rural altnet provider, has completed the build of its North Oxfordshire Project Gigabit contract four months ahead of schedule. The build has resulted in 3,880 homes and businesses gaining access to full fibre ultrafast broadband in one of the county's most historically underserved areas.
The North Oxfordshire contract (Lot 13.02) was awarded to Gigaclear by Building Digital UK (BDUK) as part of the UK government-funded Project Gigabit programme, with a contract value of £8.2 million.
Many of the villages and hamlets covered by the contract sit in some of North Oxfordshire's hardest-to-reach rural communities, historically bypassed by commercial fibre rollouts and therefore remaining reliant on slow copper connections. The early completion means local residents and businesses can access full fibre ultrafast broadband, well ahead of expectations.
To finish our North Oxfordshire build ahead of schedule is a fantastic achievement for the whole Gigaclear team. I'm proud of how quickly and efficiently our project teams have been able to deliver. Full fibre broadband is now available for homes and businesses, further reducing the digital divide for these rural communities, and will drive significant social and economic improvements for them. We are proud to have partnered with BDUK in delivering these critical services.
Nathan Rundle, CEO, GigaclearFinishing this broadband upgrade four months early is great news for communities across rural North Oxfordshire, with thousands of homes and businesses now able to get fast, reliable connections thanks to government investment. That can make a real difference day to day - from working or running a business from home, to helping with homework or simply keeping in touch with family and friends.
Ian Murray, UK Telecoms MinisterGigaclear's Oxfordshire builds form part of two Project Gigabit contracts covering the county, with a combined subsidy of £23.1m and an original target of around 9,300 premises across North and South Oxfordshire. Work continues on the South Oxfordshire contract (Lot 13.01).
Project Gigabit is a key part of the government's target to achieve full gigabit coverage by 2032, and focuses on homes and businesses that, without government support, would be left suffering from slow broadband speeds and poor connectivity.
Both Gigaclear and Project Gigabit are aligned in their mission to narrow the digital divide that still exists in Britain, to ensure that rural communities can take advantage of all the social, educational and economic benefits that full fibre is already delivering in the larger towns and cities.