Openreach, in collaboration with Superfast Essex, celebrated the successful completion of a vital broadband partnership in Great Dunmow. The Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP paid a visit to observe the innovative engineering techniques used to deliver ultrafast Full Fibre broadband to her constituency.
Thanks to funding from DEFRA’s Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), and the Getting Building Fund (GBF), this project reached an additional 3,559 rural homes and businesses. Complementing Openreach’s commercial investment in Essex, over 320,000 homes and businesses in the county now have access to ultrafast Full Fibre infrastructure.
During the visit, Ms. Badenoch gained insights into the technology’s deployment, from its urban to rural and coastal expansion. She visited the local exchange to witness where the Openreach network originates, learned about the benefits of fibre optics, and saw firsthand how Full Fibre is ensuring future-proof connections for years to come. Her trip to a nearby rural area highlighted the positive impact of the new infrastructure on the local community.
Kieran Wines, Openreach’s Partnership Director for the East of England, expressed pride in the achievements and welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate the technology to Ms. Badenoch. He emphasized that the project allows more than 320,000 homes and businesses to order ultrafast broadband from their preferred provider, encouraging those seeking faster, more reliable internet to check availability on the Openreach website.
Cllr Lee Scott, Cabinet Member for Planning and a Growing Economy at Essex County Council, praised the collaboration with Openreach for delivering gigabit-capable broadband to even the most remote regions of the county, promoting economic growth and enhancing residents’ quality of life.
Openreach’s Full Fibre, with download speeds of 1Gbps, is up to 10 times faster than the average home broadband connection, facilitating faster downloads, superior video calls, and higher-resolution streaming. It also allows multiple devices to operate simultaneously without slowdown or buffering, even during peak usage.
Openreach is committed to building and connecting customers to its ultrafast Full Fibre broadband network, with a target of reaching 25 million homes and businesses by December 2026.
Residents and businesses can check available infrastructure at their addresses using Openreach’s fibre checker and select the package that suits their needs.
Openreach’s activities have a significant economic impact in the East of England, creating a £5.4 billion boost to the local economy, according to research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr).
