Quickline secures another two Project Gigabit contracts worth £190m

The two contracts, providing a combined £190m to connect hard-to-reach premises in the East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (approx. 72,000 premises) and North Yorkshire (approx. 36,000 premises), have been won by Quickline under the Government’s UK-wide Project Gigabit programme.

It means the provider, which is based in the East Riding of Yorkshire, has now been awarded all the Yorkshire contracts, as well as the majority of Lincolnshire. As a result of the investment, Quickline will also expand its commercial network to a further 107,000 premises in these rural areas.

Project Gigabit is a government-funded programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast, gigabit-capable broadband. It targets homes and businesses that are not included in broadband suppliers’ commercial plans, reaching parts of the UK that might otherwise miss out on upgrades to next-generation speeds.

Work has already started to connect a further 60,000 funded premises in rural Yorkshire under two previously announced Project Gigabit contracts, both of which were awarded to Quickline. 

This brings the total public investment in full fibre broadband delivered by Quickline to nearly £300m. All four contracts will bring full fibre broadband with public funding to almost 170,000 premises and, in total, some 360,000 rural homes and businesses which are in dire need of improved connectivity, when adding in Quickline’s associated commercial build.

Quickline CEO Sean Royce said: “The award of these latest contracts underlines our position as the primary Project Gigabit broadband provider in rural Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

“We have now won all four contracts we have bid for, making us the UK’s second largest Project Gigabit regional delivery partner and the only provider to be awarded a contract serving England’s largest county, Yorkshire, under the programme.

“We are a regionally focused provider, and through our work as part of the Project Gigabit programme and beyond, we’re laser focused on delivering on our mission to connect rural communities to a world of possibilities when it comes to having access to fast and reliable broadband and our desire to make a positive social impact and create economic growth for these rural areas.”

Digital Infrastructure Minister Chris Bryant said: "Accelerating the rollout of fast broadband and modernising the country’s digital infrastructure is crucial to kickstarting an era of sustained economic growth in every part of the UK.

“Our £190m investment in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire will heal the headache of endless buffering felt by too many in rural communities, while building the infrastructure needed to attract new investment and ensure the benefits of digital technology reverberate across every corner of the country.”

Work in the areas covered by the two new contracts is underway with communities near Settle in North Yorkshire and North Kelsey in Lincolnshire among the first set to benefit from the availability of Quickline’s full fibre network.

The first of the two new contracts covers large areas of rural North Yorkshire, from around the seaside towns of Whitby and Scarborough, across to Knaresborough and onto Settle, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

The second new contract covers the East Riding of Yorkshire and large parts of Lincolnshire, as well as North and North East Lincolnshire, and includes the rural communities of Holme upon Spalding Moor, Kilham and Easington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, as well as villages and hamlets down to Long Sutton in the Lincolnshire Fens, close to the Norfolk and Cambridgeshire borders.

The awarding of the two new contracts will also see Quickline broaden its commitment to skills, training and community support under its extensive social values programme. 

Gigabit-capable broadband delivers faster speeds and fewer dropouts. Unlike traditional copper-based networks, gigabit connections won’t slow down at peak times, meaning no more battling for bandwidth with the neighbours. 

Gigabit networks can easily handle over a hundred devices all at once with no buffering, meaning the whole family can seamlessly surf, stream and download at the same time.

Quickline’s core purpose is underpinned by its QFutures programme, designed to make a positive impact on communities, focusing on educating people, enriching livelihoods and enhancing the environments where Quickline builds.

As part of Project Gigabit, Quickline has committed to create more than 200 apprenticeships in the areas covered by the contracts through collaboration with build partners, as well as delivering over 2,500 accredited training courses and online work experience for 1,400 students.

Other social values initiatives include:

• A digital inclusion scheme providing funds and training for digital champions.
• A tablet-lending scheme, with uses ranging from schoolwork and job hunting to Universal Credit applications.
• Tree planting and protection with the Woodland Trust as part of the Northern Forest project.
• Climate change awareness workshops with schools.

Quickline is now a leading provider for the Government’s fibre connectivity programme, designed to tackle the digital divide between urban and rural areas, and deliver gigabit-capable broadband to those that need it most. 

Cllr Richard Davies, Executive Member for IT at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “It is great news that we have a successful bidder in Quickline for Project Gigabit Lot 23.

“With this latest round of bidding now secured, it will mean that the vast majority of rural premises not currently upgraded to gigabit connectivity will soon be able to get a high-speed connection.

“This is a valuable part of our continuing improvement of high-speed broadband connections for Lincolnshire and will be an equally valuable asset for residents and businesses alike.”

Cllr David Tucker, Deputy Leader for East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "The East Riding of Yorkshire is currently in a strong position with 86% gigabit-capable broadband coverage. This has been achieved through both public and commercial investment. 

“However, there are still residents and businesses for whom a reliable, fast broadband connection is a challenge, especially in rural areas. 

“Delivery of many commercial and public services is increasingly dependent on good quality internet access, and it is also critical to the delivery of the Council's Digital Strategy.  

“This contract award demonstrates a significant investment in our region, providing over 20,000 rural premises with gigabit-capable broadband, with the potential to increase our gigabit coverage to over 95%. 

“Improved digital connectivity will ensure the Council can fully utilise digital solutions, to provide the very best service to our local communities and help maximise our economic potential.”

North Yorkshire Council’s Leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “We know just how important broadband connectivity is to all communities, but especially people who are living in our deeply rural areas, to ensure that they can stay connected in the 21st century. 

“North Yorkshire has wonderful places to live but its vast size and many rural areas do present very specific challenges. A total of 85 per cent of the county is classed as very rural or super-sparsely populated, and the population density is five times below the national average. 

“To have such a large part of the county benefiting from one of the new contracts is really significant, with communities from Scarborough to Settle set to see improvements under the investment.”