Government in GBP9m Boost to WightFibre’s Rural Broadband Rollout

Infracapital-backed broadband ISP WightFibre, which is already investing £85m to deploy a 1Gbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across the Isle of Wight (South Coast of Hampshire), has received a £9m boost from the Government’s Building Digital UK programme in order to help extend local rural coverage.

So far WightFibre’s FTTP rollout has already covered over 35,000 premises (up from 30,000 in Nov 2021) – with 10,000 customers connected – and their previously announced goal was to reach around 70,000 by the end of 2025.

However, the additional funding, available via BDUK’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS), will enable WightFibre to extend its rollout to more of the island’s rural areas (apparently 17,000 homes on the island could be eligible for this funding).

The operator added that their rollout would now reach 60,000 homes by the end of 2022, with the remainder due to be completed by the end of 2023 (78,000 premises). “Other homes which require landowner permission, for example private unadopted roads, may take longer if permission is not forthcoming,” added the operator.

John Irvine, CEO of WightFibre, said:

“This is great news for the Isle of Wight. WightFibre’s world-class, full-fibre network is delivering some of the best broadband in the world to the Island. This will set the Island apart for decades to come. This BDUK voucher funding will allow us to reach even more premises to ensure no-one is left behind.”

Julia Lopez, UK Digital Infrastructure Minister, said:

“Our voucher scheme is energising broadband firms such as WightFibre to build ultra high-speed internet infrastructure in the most hard-to-reach parts of the Isle of Wight. There is up to £9 million worth of vouchers available for homes and businesses on the Island and I’d encourage anyone looking for a broadband boost to apply.”

The areas set to benefit from this additional voucher funding include parts of Ventnor, Seaview, St Helens, Bembridge, Shalfleet, Yarmouth, Freshwater, Totland, Mottistone, Brightstone, Chale, Chale Green, Niton, Whitwell, Wroxall, Rookley, Newchurch, Winford, Alverstone Garden Village and Haven Street.