Deal Brings Gigabit Broadband to 260,000 Social Homes in Manchester UK UPDATE

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has today told the Connected Britain event in London that a new framework (wayleave) agreement has been reached with several network operators that will help to spread full fibre gigabit broadband across 260,000 social housing properties within the combined authority.

At this stage there doesn’t appear to be an official press release available. But Thinkbroadband are reporting that the new agreement is being supported by Virgin Media (via nexfibre’s build), Openreach (BT) and Hyperoptic. The agreement is not restricted to these providers, and Andy Burnham appears to be hoping that more network operators will join in due course.

The main focus here will no doubt be on larger residential buildings / MDUs (Multi-Dwelling Units), which is an area where all three of the aforementioned providers have traditionally had quite a strong focus. The new framework is said to have taken 18-months to create, and it will bring together 20 different housing associations / groups (e.g. Wythenshawe Community Housing).

The details are currently quite thin, although the way it’s been presented and the fact that the framework is launching with three different network operators suggests to us that there may be an element of infrastructure sharing involved to help reduce duplication of the build effort. But we could be very wrong and are currently attempting to clarify via the GMCA.

UPDATE 18th September 2024

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now confirmed this wayleave agreement and clarified that it will benefit 260,000 homes (up from the previously stated 200,000+). But otherwise the announcement doesn’t say much that we didn’t already know.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:

“Being able to get online quickly and easily is essential for staying in touch, accessing services, and finding new opportunities. It’s an essential part of modern life – which is why it’s so important that we tackle digital exclusion.

I’m pleased to see our housing providers and industry leaders coming together in this new partnership to connect more people across our city-region, so we can ensure that no one is left behind.”

Internet service providers who wish to find out more and opt into the Wayleave Agreement should contact GMCADigital@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk.