Research and analysis

GigaHubs Process Review Interview Framework

Published 26 June 2026

Authored by Belmana, an independent contractor commissioned to run this evaluation on behalf of Building Digital UK (BDUK). Study conducted by Belmana and GC Insight.

Belmana and GC Insight designed interview frameworks to interview key actors as the GigaHubs programme was rolled out asking Local Authority Leads, Hub Suppliers and Hub Policy Makers about their involvement with the GigaHubs product and their involvement and experience with the processes associated with the Hub projects.

Interview Framework: Local Authority Leads

Interviewee’s Role and the Hub Product

1. What is your role?

2. How long have you been in this role and what stage was the [county area name] in scoping Project Gigabit and the GigaHubs when you started?

3. How does the delivery of PG and GigaHubs fit in with your other job responsibilities?

4. Would you outline the wider context for the local authority in terms of the connectivity issues faced by the county and the broadband in recent years at public buildings?

Scoping the GigaHubs in [county area name]

5. Before Project Gigabit and GigaHubs, would you describe how the area has been supported in connecting public buildings to gigabit capable broadband (perhaps through Local Full Fibre Network or Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programmes). What worked well or lessons were learned?

6. We would like to ask about the GigaHubs in [county area name] and [other county areas as appropriate] and Project Gigabit. Would you describe how the project was developed? What attracted the local authority to a PG project and which products, as well as Hubs, are included in the project?

7. Focusing on the public buildings that are receiving GigaHub support, would you describe how the sites were selected? Has there been any rescoping or descoping and how has this been done?

8. In the [county area name], are there other GigaHub projects delivering Hubs, such as the DFE project connecting schools? Are there other initiatives? How do these co-ordinate in your experience?

Project goals, aims and activities

9. What are the main goals and aims of the GigaHubs in [county area name]? a. Have they changed significantly over the course of the project? If changed, probe for details on project inputs, activities, outputs, and long-term goals. b. How were these goals decided?

10. What aspects of the GigaHubs are innovative for [county area name]?

11. To what extent did these aims and goals link to other priorities of the local authority, such as service delivery plans/strategies for operations at Hubs?

Programme delivery

12. Please walk us through how the GigaHubs are being rolled out in your area. What is the current status of the roll-out in the area? a. Is it being delivered as planned, and what key outputs and outcomes are (or are not) being achieved? b. What has enabled (or created barriers to) these outputs? c. Is there any outstanding work that needs to be carried out to deliver the planned hubs in [county area name]?

13. Have you any observations about the procurement of connections through the suppliers that operate in the area and how they were involved in the roll-out?

14. Were there any other relevant policies running alongside GigaHubs that have supported or incentivised broadband roll-out?

Programme expected and early outcomes

15. What have been or will be the most significant impacts of the Hub installations? a. Direct impacts on the public buildings where the hubs were placed. b. Indirect impacts on the community (households, businesses, etc.) in the area surrounding the buildings where the Hubs were placed. c. Impacts on the general public as a result of a change to public services.

16. Have there been any negative consequences so far from the GigaHubs programme in [county area name]?

Future plans

17. What are the future plans to improve connectivity and address existing challenges in your area? Have these shaped or been shaped by the Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy?

18. Given the improved network connectivity in the GigaHub sites in [county area name], are you aware of upcoming projects or plans to further utilise these connections?

19. How have the Hubs led to changes in further, future policy? a. Have the Hubs programme led to any new opportunities? b. What kind of interventions would be most useful for your area in the future?

Concluding questions

20. Are there any other issues you would like to talk about that we haven’t covered yet?

21. Are there any other people who have been involved in the roll-out of GigaHubs in [county area name] who could provide further evidence of the effects (or on the delivery of) the hub investments? Would you be able to introduce me to these people? This may be suppliers or other contacts at the regional authority or a member of your team who has liaised with these individuals.

Interview Framework: Interviewing Hub Suppliers

Involvement in the Hubs programme

1. How did your company first find out about the Hubs product and GigaHubs?

2. Do you have any reflections on the pre-engagement process? (e.g. quality of the information provided)

3. What attracted your company to get involved in the Hubs product?

4. How many hubs have you connected, and in which areas? Were you already operating in these areas?

5. What factors influenced your decisions to focus on these areas?

Impacts of Hubs on your activities

6. Does the infrastructure you deployed to connect these hubs have enough capacity for further build in the area? Is it available for use by suppliers other than yourself?

7. Has upgrading Hubs made it more commercial for your business to offer gigabit broadband to premises in the area around the Hub? What factors influence your ability to do this?

8. Are there examples of your company delivering new connectivity (beyond the initial subsidised build) as a result of connecting a hub? If yes: 9. Which hubs stimulated further build and why?

10. Was this further build commercial in its own right or did you use vouchers to deliver further network availability?

11. Explain the likelihood that you would have served these areas if the Hubs product had not existed.

12. If you have not delivered new connectivity, what prevented or what more was required for you to consider extending your network to serve more premises in the area around the hub?

13. Has your involvement in the Hubs product led to changes in the way you promote your services to customers?

14. Has your involvement in the Hubs product led to any other changes in your company’s activities or plans for the future?

15. Have there been any negative consequences from your company’s participation in the Hubs product?

Reflections

16. What other local stakeholders were involved in connecting the Hubs? What was the relationship like with these stakeholders?

17. Overall, how well would you say the administration of the Hubs product has been managed? What could have been done differently?

18. Were you satisfied with the time taken from pre-engagement to business award?

19. What would have needed to be done differently to encourage you to a. Increase your involvement in the Hubs product? i.e. upgrade more hubs. b. Reduce the risk of participating? c. Extend your network further to areas adjacent/nearby to Hubs and (possibly also) to scale-up to full area builds?

20. There have been different channels for funding/procuring connectivity such as Rural Gigabit Connectivity, GigaHubs and more recently Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS). Have you been involved with any of these and how do they compare in terms of their processes and meeting objectives?

Interview Framework: Interviewing Hub Policy Makers

Background

1. What is the organisation you work for?

2. What is your role?

3. Please would your involvement with the DSIT BDUK Hubs programme?

Planning for objectives

4. What are the goals with regards to the DCMS BDUK Hubs programme? a. How do they tie in with the levelling up agenda? b. How do they tie in with other policy goals?

5. What other government branches have been involved with your organisation, and what have their goals been?

6. What outcomes do you expect to observe?

Implementation:

7. Has the programme fully been implemented and completed?

8. How successful has the implementation programme been?

9. What were barriers that have been encountered with the implementation of the programme?

10. What worked well and what could have been improved?

Outcomes:

11. With respect to the outcomes put forth before, what have you observed since the implementation of the programme? a. Qualitative outcomes b. Quantifiable outcome

12. In the event of collaborating with other governmental departments, what were their expected outcomes from the programme, and what were the outcomes that were realised?

Reflection:

13. What worked well and what could have been improved?

14. Your activities would have been affected by Covid. How has covid impacted the project and the realisation of objectives?

Closing

15. Is there anything else you would like to add?

16. We are keen to look at policy objectives within the context of the wider local area. Are there any people that have been involved in your Hub programme that could provide that context, and you would be able to introduce me to? This may be suppliers or other contacts at the local authority or a member of your team that has liaised with these individuals.