Lightning-fast full fibre broadband for North Northumberland

27 Jun 2024 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

The announcement comes as GoFibre hits the major milestone of 100,000 rural premises now able to connect to its ultra-fast network. 

Even more residents and businesses across towns and villages in North Northumberland can now connect to GoFibre’s ultra-fast and reliable broadband connection as the independent broadband provider further expands its full fibre broadband network across the area to more than 12,000 premises. 

Following significant growth over the past 18 months, GoFibre, has reached a major milestone in its mission to deliver amazing broadband connections and choice in local communities across Scotland and the north of England, with over 100,000 homes and businesses being able to connect to its network. 

Of the more than 100,000 premises now ready to connect, 12,100 premises are located across North Northumberland in the following areas: 

• Wooler 
• Seahouses 
• Cornhill-on-Tweed 
• Belford 
• Berwick-upon-Tweed 
• Alnwick 

Driven by its commitment to deliver world-class digital connectivity to rural and harder-to-reach locations, GoFibre is dedicated to closing the digital divide in Scotland and the north of England. Recent research underscores this need, revealing that full-fibre broadband is only available to 45%* of homes in rural parts of Scotland. 

Throughout the network expansion, GoFibre has also placed great importance on supporting rural economic development. Committed to recruiting local talent who live and work in the communities they are connecting with an engineering depot in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, GoFibre works to develop a deep-rooted understanding of each area’s unique needs, ensuring that customers remain at the heart of its business. 

GoFibre’s remarkable growth has significantly increased its construction efforts, extending its network reach in specific local areas. This expansion has led to premises across thirty towns and villages being ready for service, with local people already experiencing the benefits, from improved business productivity to an enhanced digital life at home. 

Once the connection is in place, choosing GoFibre means North Northumberland residents and businesses can access up to 1 Gbps speeds, significantly enhancing their ability to utilise multiple devices without lag and quickly download large files in seconds. While the median average internet speed in the UK is 73.21Mbps, as of 2023, GoFibre’s full fibre connection provides speeds of more than double this speed on its entry-level package. 

Neil Conaghan, Chief Executive Officer, GoFibre said: "We are proud to have reached this significant milestone in such a short length of time, because that means we’ve been able to make a positive impact on even more lives and businesses quicker. In today’s digital world, where online activity is ever-increasing, a reliable high-speed broadband connection is essential and not having it in place can really hold people and businesses back from reaching their full potential. 

“Our unwavering local focus and dedication to customers and local communities sets us apart and has driven us to achieve this milestone, ensuring that we can provide responsive, high-quality customer service from experts with local knowledge. 

“This accomplishment firmly places us on the map as a major broadband provider in our regions, and we can’t wait to continue expanding our services, bringing high-quality connectivity to even more communities and customers. Our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction will drive us forward as we build on this success." 

Chris Thompson, Director of Digital and IT at Northumberland County Council said: "It's fantastic to see more areas in Northumberland being brought up to date with faster connection speeds. There are so many benefits to getting online and these advancements represent a significant step forward. 

“High-speed internet access is increasingly becoming more of a necessity and better connectivity improves our ability to work remotely, access educational resources, opens up business new opportunities and allows us stay connected with loved ones." 

In early 2022, GoFibre secured a commitment of £164 million funding from Gresham House’s Sustainable Infrastructure strategy (BSIF), to accelerate its rollout of full fibre broadband throughout Scotland and the north of England. 

Residents and businesses can buy now or register for updates in their area by visiting gofibre.co.uk/register. 

*Ofcom Connected Nations Spring 2024: Interactive report