GigaHubs: key information
These documents provide further information about GigaHubs, including developing GigaHubs projects.
Documents
Details
GigaHubs are part of ‘Project Gigabit’, the UK government’s £5bn national mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband for everyone in the UK.
Over the next 3 years, up to £110m of government funding will be invested into providing gigabit connectivity to up to 7,000 rural public sector buildings including schools, GP surgeries, libraries and other public buildings. This will deliver a range of benefits, such as enabling clinicians to provide remote video consultations and allowing whole classes of schoolchildren to be online, at once, with no interruptions.
GigaHubs will also bring new fibre right into the heart of communities for the first time, providing ‘hubs’ from which industry can connect surrounding homes and businesses.
The GigaHubs model works by providing funding towards infrastructure build for eligible public sector buildings which meet qualifying criteria set by BDUK and where investment cases are clear.
The benefit of GigaHubs is two-fold:
- Providing a gigabit-capable connection to a public building enhances a public service.
- The surrounding area may also become increasingly viable for commercial intervention, stimulating the market to build more networks in these areas.
GigaHubs is designed to help organisations who can:
- provide a list of public sector premises (delivering a public function and with a business justification), in need of improved connectivity, which can then act as a Hub to connect further residential and business premises
- build a collaboration with other local public sector organisations
- lead the collaboration group through the GigaHubs stages
- drive procurement activities for all partner organisations
- identify a senior leader to act as a local champion, supported by BDUK
- identify and/or provide additional funding to maximise build numbers
- procure post-GigaHubs build connectivity services to their own requirements
BDUK has been working with a number of strategic partners, including the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as devolved administrations and local authorities. These partners have identified a number of eligible rural public sector buildings to act as Hubs.
As with other BDUK programmes, the GigaHubs team will ensure that their assurance process is applied thoroughly, prior to BDUK committing any funding, and to validate the eligibility of expenditure before payment.
Although the completion of the Hub Site Submission Sheet is not a guarantee that BDUK will be able to invest in a particular scheme, it is a mandatory part of the selection process. If an expression of interest looks to be in alignment with the aims and objectives of the programme, BDUK may contact the Local Authority or public sector organisation for future demand side interventions.
Further questions
If you have any questions about the GigaHubs programme, please direct them to gigahubs@dcms.gov.uk where a member of the team will be able to provide you with assistance.
Legal notices
Confidentiality
Subject to the disclosure rights below DCMS will not disclose any information which has been provided in connection with the Product programme and expressly designated as confidential.
DCMS may disclose any information which has been provided in connection with the GigaHubs product to (i) any member, director, officer, employee or agent of DCMS or BDUK; (ii) any person acting as an adviser or consultant to DCMS or BDUK; and (iii) any other part of the UK government.
Publicity
Publicity activities with any section of the media concerning any aspect of the GigaHubs programme may not be taken without the prior written agreement of DCMS (including as to the content of any such publicity). In this paragraph ‘media’ includes (without limit) radio, television, print, newspapers, trade and specialist press, the internet and email or mobile content accessible by the public.
Disclaimer
Whilst the content of this document has been prepared in good faith, it does not purport to be comprehensive nor has it been independently verified. Neither DCMS nor its advisers and their respective directors, officers, members, partners, employees, other staff or agents (i) makes any representation or warranty (express or implied) as to the accuracy, reasonableness or completeness of the information provided; (ii) accepts any responsibility for the information provided or for its fairness, accuracy or completeness; and (iii) will be liable for any loss or damage of any kind (other than in respect of fraudulent misrepresentation) arising as a result of reliance on such information or any subsequent information.
Personal data
It is acknowledged that in completing the hub site submission sheet and participating in the GigaHubs programme, limited personal data will be provided to, and collected by, DCMS, who for the purpose of data protection law acts as the controller of such data. Further information relating to personal data can be found on the Hub Site Submission sheet, the document in which information should be submitted.
Last updated 5 November 2021 + show all updates
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Added Welsh versions.
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First published.