Project Gigabit
Project Gigabit is the government’s flagship £5 billion programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband
It targets homes and businesses that are not included in broadband suppliers’ plans, reaching parts of the UK that might otherwise miss out on getting the digital connectivity they need.
The fast, reliable connections delivered by Project Gigabit will level-up mostly rural and remote communities across the UK, as well as tackling pockets of poor connectivity in urban areas.
Having the fastest broadband means households no longer have to battle over bandwidth, people enjoy the freedom to live and work more flexibly, businesses increase their productivity, and vital public services thrive.
Having the fastest connections also means the UK is fit-for-the-future, with broadband infrastructure designed to deliver for people’s needs for decades to come.
Procurements and Contracts
As part of this programme BDUK is launching phased contracts to those hard to reach parts of the UK that will need government support towards the cost of gigabit-capable broadband. The latest timeline for the procurement of these contracts can be found in the Project Gigabit quarterly updates collection page.
To complement this work and to support pace of delivery, there are three other elements to Project Gigabit.
Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme
There is up to £210 million to give people in eligible rural areas immediate financial help to get gigabit-capable speeds. The scheme is accessible through broadband service providers that have registered to provide connections through the scheme.
Vouchers worth up to £4,500 for homes and businesses help to cover the costs of installing gigabit broadband to people’s doorsteps.
You can check if you’re eligible for a voucher at your address on the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme website.
GigaHubs
There is up to £110 million available to connect public sector buildings - such as GP surgeries, libraries and schools - in hard to reach parts of the UK.
For more information, visit GigaHubs: key information.
Superfast Programme
Now largely gigabit-capable, Superfast will reach the remaining premises that have broadband speeds of less than 30 megabits per second (Mbps). In late 2020, the government approved a further £490 million of new contracts signed to provide mainly gigabit-capable coverage to a further 172,000 premises. Information and take-up data on all procurements on the Superfast Broadband Programme can be found in the table of local broadband projects spreadsheet. The spreadsheet also contains links to gainshare consultations published by local broadband projects.
Last updated 8 February 2024 + show all updates
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Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme website link updated.
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"Procurements and Contracts" heading added.
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Voucher amounts updated to reflect new, higher value.
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Project Gigabit Delivery Plan - autumn update 2022 added.
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Updated to reflect core messaging and terminology.
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First published.