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Fastershire
Bridging the digital divide
In 2011, only 36 per cent of premises in Gloucestershire had access to superfast broadband (30Mbps). The leading network providers were primarily focused on building full-fibre connectivity across the county, but only in areas where they could expect a return on their investment. In the rural and hard-to-reach areas, people and businesses faced slow speeds and unreliable services. A significant infrastructure transformation was necessary, along with a strategy to overcome challenges such as obtaining wayleave access to cross-private land and addressing technical and geographical obstacles.
Gloucestershire County Council partnered with Herefordshire Council to launch the Fastershire project to address the lack of viable commercial broadband in certain areas. To bring rural broadband to fruition, Fastershire introduced a procurement program that used funding to incentivise broadband suppliers to expand their networks into hard-to-reach places.
Data from the independent website ThinkBroadband shows that by spring 2024, when the Fastershire project concluded, an impressive 98.2% of Gloucestershire properties could access superfast broadband, and 77.08% could benefit from gigabit-capable speeds of 1,000 Mbps.
Residents and businesses in many rural areas can now benefit from improved access to online services, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, which has contributed to cultivating a more inclusive and thriving community. The project has bolstered the local economy by successfully addressing the digital divide and stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship.
Watch the short film to learn about your current broadband options and the government's plans for faster broadband in the future.
Gloucestershire County Council partnered with Herefordshire Council to launch the Fastershire project to address the lack of viable commercial broadband in certain areas. To bring rural broadband to fruition, Fastershire introduced a procurement program that used funding to incentivise broadband suppliers to expand their networks into hard-to-reach places.
Data from the independent website ThinkBroadband shows that by spring 2024, when the Fastershire project concluded, an impressive 98.2% of Gloucestershire properties could access superfast broadband, and 77.08% could benefit from gigabit-capable speeds of 1,000 Mbps.
Residents and businesses in many rural areas can now benefit from improved access to online services, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, which has contributed to cultivating a more inclusive and thriving community. The project has bolstered the local economy by successfully addressing the digital divide and stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship.
Watch the short film to learn about your current broadband options and the government's plans for faster broadband in the future.
Commercially funded delivery has focused mainly on the more built-up areas in Gloucestershire. Most early commercial rollouts were delivered by Openreach using fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) to provide superfast, capable connections.
Commercial investment in these areas has recently shifted towards building new gigabit-capable fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) / full fibre networks, which network operators like Openreach, Zzoomm, Full Fibre Limited, Gigaclear, and Airband are delivering.
Commercially funded delivery has focused mainly on the more built-up areas in Gloucestershire. Most early commercial rollouts were delivered by Openreach using fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) to provide superfast, capable connections.
Commercial investment in these areas has recently shifted towards building new gigabit-capable fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) / full fibre networks, which network operators like Openreach, Zzoomm, Full Fibre Limited, Gigaclear, and Airband are delivering.
Fastershire's first rollout contract was delivered by Openreach and provided rural properties with superfast connections.
The rollout mainly used fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and some fibre to the premises (FTTP), providing those properties with a gigabit-capable connection.
By the end of this rollout, stage 1 and stage 2 combined increased superfast coverage to around 90% of properties across Gloucestershire.
Fastershire's first rollout contract was delivered by Openreach and provided rural properties with superfast connections.
The rollout mainly used fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and some fibre to the premises (FTTP), providing those properties with a gigabit-capable connection.
By the end of this rollout, stage 1 and stage 2 combined increased superfast coverage to around 90% of properties across Gloucestershire.
In 2017, Gigaclear was awarded the contract to reach some remaining properties across rural Gloucestershire.
Although Fastershire's remit was to provide properties access to superfast (30Mbps) connections, because Gigaclear's network uses fibre-to-the-property (FTTP) connections, all the properties benefited from a gigabit-capable connection.
Alongside Fastershire's funded rollout, Gigaclear undertook additional commercially funded deployment in these areas.
Jean Waters's story below illustrates how full fibre broadband transformed rural communities in Gloucestershire.
In 2017, Gigaclear was awarded the contract to reach some remaining properties across rural Gloucestershire.
Although Fastershire's remit was to provide properties access to superfast (30Mbps) connections, because Gigaclear's network uses fibre-to-the-property (FTTP) connections, all the properties benefited from a gigabit-capable connection.
Alongside Fastershire's funded rollout, Gigaclear undertook additional commercially funded deployment in these areas.
Jean Waters's story below illustrates how full fibre broadband transformed rural communities in Gloucestershire.
The project's stage 4 rollout with Airband deployed a brand new Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) network and provided over 11,000 hard-to-reach properties with access to faster broadband.
Fastershire and the Rural Broadband Infrastructure Scheme funded the rollout, which the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs managed using the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
The project's stage 4 rollout with Airband deployed a brand new Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) network and provided over 11,000 hard-to-reach properties with access to faster broadband.
Fastershire and the Rural Broadband Infrastructure Scheme funded the rollout, which the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs managed using the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
The Fastershire broadband grant schemes targeted the final 3-4% of homes and businesses still requiring superfast broadband access.
Marches and Gloucestershire Business Broadband Grant
Fastershire created the grant in partnership with Connecting Shropshire and Superfast Telford and was partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The grant provided eligible businesses up to £25,000 of the capital installation cost to help fund high-speed connectivity.
Community Broadband Grant
The Fastershire Community Broadband Grant targeted the final 3-4% of properties still requiring access to superfast broadband of 30Mbps or more. The scheme was entirely funded by Gloucestershire County Council and designed to help find a solution specific to each community. Fastershire funded up to a maximum of £500,000 per community project.
Fastershire Business Broadband Grant
The Business Broadband Grant helped businesses in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire that needed access to superfast broadband (30Mbs) and were unsuitable for the Fastershire Community Broadband Grant Scheme. Eligible businesses could access a grant of up to £20,000 to cover up to 80% of the capital cost of installing faster broadband.
The Fastershire broadband grant schemes targeted the final 3-4% of homes and businesses still requiring superfast broadband access.
Marches and Gloucestershire Business Broadband Grant
Fastershire created the grant in partnership with Connecting Shropshire and Superfast Telford and was partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The grant provided eligible businesses up to £25,000 of the capital installation cost to help fund high-speed connectivity.
Community Broadband Grant
The Fastershire Community Broadband Grant targeted the final 3-4% of properties still requiring access to superfast broadband of 30Mbps or more. The scheme was entirely funded by Gloucestershire County Council and designed to help find a solution specific to each community. Fastershire funded up to a maximum of £500,000 per community project.
Fastershire Business Broadband Grant
The Business Broadband Grant helped businesses in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire that needed access to superfast broadband (30Mbs) and were unsuitable for the Fastershire Community Broadband Grant Scheme. Eligible businesses could access a grant of up to £20,000 to cover up to 80% of the capital cost of installing faster broadband.
Fastershire wasn't just about technology. The project also included several programs that helped encourage greater adoption and exploitation of faster broadband. Fastershire also held courses and provided resources to help inspire people in the local community to use the internet and improve their digital skills – including a 'How to be a Digital Champion' course.
Wendy Haigh's story below highlights the difference that Fastershire's inclusivity training made to people living across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.
Fastershire wasn't just about technology. The project also included several programs that helped encourage greater adoption and exploitation of faster broadband. Fastershire also held courses and provided resources to help inspire people in the local community to use the internet and improve their digital skills – including a 'How to be a Digital Champion' course.
Wendy Haigh's story below highlights the difference that Fastershire's inclusivity training made to people living across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.
Fastershire ran programs to help small and medium-sized businesses get the most from fibre broadband. CREATE, FasterBusiness, and FasterWomen provided businesses across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire with access to free workshops, training, and tailored one-to-one consultancy. The programs covered anything a company might have needed, including troubleshooting, social media, online marketing, connectivity, software, hardware, and more.
Fastershire ran programs to help small and medium-sized businesses get the most from fibre broadband. CREATE, FasterBusiness, and FasterWomen provided businesses across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire with access to free workshops, training, and tailored one-to-one consultancy. The programs covered anything a company might have needed, including troubleshooting, social media, online marketing, connectivity, software, hardware, and more.
FasterFarmers offered free business support for farming, agricultural, and land-based businesses in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Technology played a significant role in driving substantial changes across the industry. Fastershire, in partnership with the Herefordshire Rural Hub, established FasterFarmers to provide free training and advice aimed at helping farmers harness new digital technology.
FasterFarmers was funded by Fastershire and was administered by the Herefordshire Rural Hub, making it accessible to any farming or agricultural business in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.
FasterFarmers offered free business support for farming, agricultural, and land-based businesses in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Technology played a significant role in driving substantial changes across the industry. Fastershire, in partnership with the Herefordshire Rural Hub, established FasterFarmers to provide free training and advice aimed at helping farmers harness new digital technology.
FasterFarmers was funded by Fastershire and was administered by the Herefordshire Rural Hub, making it accessible to any farming or agricultural business in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.
The continued rollout of ultra-fast full-fibre broadband is being managed by the UK Government's Project Gigabit initiative. Project Gigabit is a £5 billion government infrastructure project aimed at providing fast and reliable digital connectivity across the country. The project's goal is to deliver gigabit-capable broadband connections to homes and businesses in the hardest-to-reach parts of the UK.
The continued rollout of ultra-fast full-fibre broadband is being managed by the UK Government's Project Gigabit initiative. Project Gigabit is a £5 billion government infrastructure project aimed at providing fast and reliable digital connectivity across the country. The project's goal is to deliver gigabit-capable broadband connections to homes and businesses in the hardest-to-reach parts of the UK.
