Statement
I am repeating the following Written Ministerial Statement made today in the other place by my Right Honourable Friend, the Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure; Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale MP.
On 15 December 2023 we published Building Digital UK's (BDUK) latest progress update on Project Gigabit, the government’s £5 billion mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband across the UK.
In this update, we report on the four latest contracts to be signed in North East Staffordshire, North Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire, and Derbyshire. Combined, these contracts represent £76 million of government investment to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to up to 33,000 premises.
The report also highlights the progress of Project Gigabit across the union. In addition to our live procurements in England and parts of Wales, we have worked with the Scottish Government to confirm the first Project Gigabit procurements to be launched in Scotland, and we have confirmed our approach for Northern Ireland and the remainder of Wales.
The delivery update also notes the recent publication of BDUK’s Annual Report and Accounts, reporting BDUK’s performance during the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. BDUK exceeded its Project Gigabit delivery target for the year, passing 162,600 premises with gigabit-capable broadband (against the minimum target trajectory of 133,000 set out in its Corporate Plan). In total, BDUK has delivered gigabit connectivity to 929,700 premises, in mostly hard-to-reach communities across the UK.
A copy of the latest Project Gigabit progress update will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.