I am pleased to hear that following a competitive procurement process, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has recently signed a £23 million contract with the broadband supplier FullFibre to deliver gigabit-capable broadband, capable of download speeds of over 900 megabits per second (Mbps), to up to 7,900 premises across West Herefordshire and the Forest of Dean. A large share of these premises (approximately 40%) are within my constituency.
This announcement builds on the significant growth in the availability of gigabit-capable broadband we have seen in the last five years. According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, 70.9% of premises in the Forest of Dean can currently access a gigabit-capable connection, up from just 9.9% in January 2019. This significant investment will extend coverage further, bringing gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses across the Forest of Dean that would otherwise not have been reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout plans.