Reaching Over 22,000 Homes and Businesses in Tyne and Wear
In a significant move to enhance connectivity, Openreach is set to invest £6.6 million to provide full fibre access to more than 22,000 homes and businesses in Denton Burn and Lemington. This announcement is part of Openreach’s nationwide plan to deploy full fibre broadband, targeting 25 million premises by the end of 2026.
Today’s revelation marks a crucial milestone as Openreach achieves the halfway point in its ambitious plan. The company has identified 142 locations, including Denton Burn and Lemington, where it aims to deliver full fibre to approximately 1.4 million homes and businesses, including hard-to-reach and rural communities.
Openreach is leading the charge in full fibre deployment, outpacing other UK providers by reaching around 60,000 new premises every week. The company’s commitment to continuous expansion is evident, with plans to extend coverage to 30 million premises by the end of 2030.
Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach, expressed satisfaction with the progress, stating, “This is a national infrastructure project that’s a genuine success story. We’re delivering engineering on an epic scale, on time and on budget – and that’s thanks to a supportive policy environment which has led to huge investment and competition throughout the UK’s telecoms sector.”
As modern life increasingly relies on robust internet connections, Openreach has already connected more than four million homes and businesses to its full fibre network. The demand for this high-speed service continues to rise, with Openreach adding more than 30,000 new orders every week.
Beyond residential and business connections, Openreach is actively contributing to public services. Over 13,400 medical facilities, including hospitals and pharmacies, and 8,300 care and nursing homes have access to Full Fibre. The initiative extends to educational facilities, connecting schools, universities, and children’s nurseries, enhancing online learning capabilities.
The network transformation facilitated by Openreach’s Full Fibre initiative extends to various social challenges, reaching 2,500 banks, 1,500 libraries, art centers, museums, and 1,200 emergency services buildings, including coastguard and mountain rescue.
In addition to its societal impact, Openreach’s Full Fibre network is poised to contribute to economic growth by connecting people and businesses, fostering a more digitally connected and resilient UK economy.
