Gigaclear announces two new towns for gigabit rollout

Broadband internet service provider Gigaclear has announced that it will be rolling out its new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to the towns of Winchcombe and Cinderford in Gloucestershire, England.

The new rollout, which is expected to reach 2,500 premises in Winchcombe and 5,500 premises in Cinderford will add to Gigaclear's current network coverage which reaches over 250,000 premises across many rural parts of the UK. Currently, the provider's network covers towns and villages in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Kent and Essex..

Jamie Flint, Regional General Manager at Gigaclear, said: “We already have a firm foothold in rural Gloucestershire through the Fastershire project with Building Digital UK (BDUK). Now, we are back in the region working independently on a commercial basis to bring ultrafast internet to towns, like Cinderford, which have been calling out for better connectivity for some time.”

The builds in Winchcombe and Cinderford will require 3.6km and 12.5km of new fibre, respectively, which will be laid via trenching as well as through the utilisation of existing duct and pole infrastructure.

Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean, added: "I am pleased to hear that Gigaclear are extending their ultrafast broadband network to Cinderford. I know this will be welcome news to residents and local business and I look forward to seeing the service go live over the next few months. I know how important good broadband is to my constituents and I am in regular touch with Gigaclear and will continue to follow their progress across the Forest of Dean with interest."

The first premises in Winchcombe are expected to go live in June 2022, at the earliest, with completion for the build targeted by the end of 2022. In Cinderford, the first residents should be connected to the new network from next month. Final completion, however, is set for the middle of next year. Gigaclear aims for its network to cover 500,000 UK premises by the end of 2023.