Carlisle, UK – John Stevenson MP recently joined Openreach engineers for a firsthand look at the progress of the Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband network expansion in Cumbria. The ongoing build is set to provide faster and more reliable full fibre broadband to homes and businesses in the Carlisle constituency and across the county.
The tour began with a visit to the local telephone exchange, where Mr. Stevenson observed the starting point of the Full Fibre network. Subsequently, he visited Harraby and Caldewgate, where he witnessed the final stage of the Openreach Full Fibre network being constructed. During this part of the tour, he engaged with local engineers and build partner Morrison Telecom Ltd, who are collectively delivering this transformative technology to communities in Cumbria.
Notably, Mr. Stevenson also tried his hand at fibre splicing, a delicate engineering process where two ends of fibre optic glass cable, no wider than a human hair, are fused together. This process plays a crucial role in Openreach’s Full Fibre network, which has already reached over 50,000 properties in Cumbria through a £15 million investment.
Commenting on the progress, John Stevenson MP expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I’m pleased to see the progress being made by Openreach to deliver full fibre across my constituency and the rest of Cumbria. It’s vital that local people take advantage of this new technology as it becomes available. This is a significant local investment and great news for people living and working here in Carlisle and elsewhere in Cumbria—both in our urban and rural communities. I look forward to even more progress being made so that all of my constituents can have the best access to digital services for employment, education, and entertainment as soon as possible.”
The visit was hosted by Stephen King, Openreach’s Chief Engineer in the North West, who emphasized the challenges and realities of delivering this technology to communities. He encouraged local residents to monitor the build’s progress and check when full fibre becomes available in their areas through the Openreach fibre checker.
Openreach has invested approximately £15 million locally, expanding its ultrafast, ultra-reliable Full Fibre network to more than 50,000 homes and businesses across Cumbria. The company has plans to extend its network to thirty Cumbrian locations, such as Cleator Moor, Cockermouth, Keswick, Millom, Penrith, and Shap.
Residents can expect seamless streaming and enhanced online gaming experiences, while businesses will have the certainty that their broadband supports daily tasks, including video calls, banking, and customer interactions via social media.
Openreach has passed more than 11.5 million premises in the UK, with over 3 million homes and businesses subscribing to ultrafast services over the Openreach network, representing a take-up rate of more than 30 percent.
