Digital future of Essex supercharged with 9,500 more homes and businesses getting upgraded broadband

More than 9,500 more homes and businesses in Essex burdened with older broadband will be upgraded to fast and reliable internet as the government expands its Project Gigabit rollout. 

Building on the success of upgrades in rural Essex – where over 10,000 premises are already set to benefit from this agreement and 500 have been completed already – this marks the first Project Gigabit contract to target pockets of poor connectivity in towns and cities as well as the countryside. 

Backed by an extra £8.3 million in government funding, Openreach is extending its broadband rollout to more homes and businesses in Essex – connecting communities that would have otherwise missed out in earlier commercial plans. This latest investment builds on the £1.2 billion originally earmarked for the provider to build in disconnected areas.  

Work to connect the premises will begin immediately, covering areas including, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Basildon, Clacton and Ardleigh. 

UK Telecoms Minister Liz Lloyd said: 

“Project Gigabit is bringing better internet to more blackspots across the UK, thanks to government backing. This is the very first contract that’s focusing on urban areas, not just the countryside.  

“Pockets of our towns and cities are still left disconnected. To reach our 99% coverage target, it is vital no urban neighbourhood slips through the net. 

“We’ve already got the ball rolling to connect areas of Essex missing out, and now we’re extending our efforts so that even more residents can access the digital opportunities they deserve.”  

Kieran Wines, Openreach Partnership Director for London and the South East, said:  

“As well as reaching rural communities, it’s vital we keep strengthening connectivity in towns and cities. This Project Gigabit contract helps us extend full fibre broadband into more urban neighbourhoods across Essex, adding to the almost 575,000 homes and businesses across the county that we’ve already reached through our own rollout.” 

While much of Essex can be quickly upgraded through existing underground ducting that avoids the need for digging up roads, some areas – including housing estates, business parks and blocks of flats – are currently connected via underground cables without it, making them too costly for providers to reach via commercial rollout due to the additional engineering works.  

Over 1.3 million premises across the UK have been upgraded thanks to government support to date, largely in rural areas where gigabit coverage is lower. Connecting hard-to-reach premises in urban areas will be vital to achieving the government’s target of full gigabit coverage by 2030 and the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity across the country.