County Durham completes first phase of fibre broadband rollout

Durham is set to receive superfast broadband thanks to an initiative run by the local council and BT.

The Digital Durham scheme has completed its first phase of connecting fast internet to over 107,000 homes and businesses. As part of this initiative, it has installed 498 cabinets, which have successfully brought fibre to premises in the county.

The first phase started in 2013, with the first cabinet being set up in the marketplace of Durham, and then rolled out to other parts of the county. This included areas such as Coxhoe, Meadowfield, New Brancepeth, Peterlee and Willington.

The scheme is now set to start on second phase. This will attempt to reach difficult to reach rural areas, such as Gateshead, Tees Valley and South and North Tyneside.

Residents are already being urged to switch to the new service, as it offers much better speeds of up to 80 Mbps. Currently, this is faster than most speeds in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Councillor Jane Brown, from Durham County Council, said: “The completion of phase one, providing faster broadband to more than 107,000 homes and businesses is a significant milestone in our partnership with BT. It's a real source of pride that so many people can now use this technology for work, study and pleasure.

"But we're not resting on our laurels. This further investment through phase two will ensure faster broadband is available to even more people, and we'll consider whether we can further improve coverage beyond this."

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