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Alternative UK network provider Wildanet has announced that they’ve now built their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband service to an additional 10,000 premises in rural Cornwall. The effort forms part of the three contracts they hold with the government’s wider £5bn Project Gigabit programme, which are worth £77m (state aid).
At present Wildanet holds the following Project Gigabit contracts: Cornwall Central (Lot 32.03), South West (Lot 32.02) – both awarded in January 2023 (here) – and the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (Lot 32) contract – awarded in April 2024 (here). The three contracts combined are worth £77m and should help to extend gigabit-capable broadband to over 37,000 additional premises in the county.
A total of 10,000 premises have now been covered in the first two phases of this project across 33 separate build areas in South West and Mid-Cornwall. Wildanet is also marking the start of the third major phase of work, with the installation of new infrastructure now under way in East Cornwall.
The contracted build has thus so far delivered more than 2,500km of new fibre cable, some 159km of physical infrastructure installation and civil engineering work, and a total of 1,622 new chambers have also been constructed.
Telecoms Minister, Chris Bryant, said:
“This is a landmark moment for Cornwall as we celebrate connecting 10,000 homes and businesses to fast, reliable broadband through Project Gigabit, transforming lives across the county.
Cornwall’s beautiful but challenging landscape has meant that people in rural communities have had to put up with painfully slow internet for too long. This milestone marks a step-change in how we’re delivering our commitment to boost connectivity across Britain, ensuring that geography is no barrier to the greater opportunities and growth that this Government’s Plan for Change is all about.”
Justin Clark, Wildanet Chief Strategy & Technology Officer, said:
“Reaching 10,000 live connections is a fantastic milestone for Wildanet and for the communities we are connecting across Cornwall. Providing reliable, high-speed broadband to rural and underserved areas is at the heart of our mission and fundamental to future wellbeing, social inclusion and economic opportunities in Cornwall.
I want to thank those local communities for their understanding while we undertake this important infrastructure project for Cornwall and to recognise the dedication and commitment of the entire Wildanet team, the support of Project Gigabit and the expertise of our partners in all that we have achieved to date.
As we continue to expand our network across Cornwall, we are excited to deliver the digital infrastructure that will drive economic growth and improve quality of life for even more homes and businesses throughout the county, both now and for many years to come.”
The provider also recently launched a new 2Gbps broadband package for £85 per month on a 24-month minimum term, although it’s worth noting that this is not a symmetric service and thus upload speeds are limited to 400Mbps (hardly a major issue). The service also includes unlimited data usage and free installation. Cheaper and slower package options are also available.