Wildanet’s £36 million publicly funded roll-out of gigabit-capable Full Fibre broadband in rural Cornwall is rapidly gathering pace, with more than 3,500 homes now connected.
The milestone marks the success of a huge team effort, led by Wildanet and involving a partnership with mostly locally-based contractors, engineers and technical consultants who are designing, installing and commissioning the new network in some of the county’s most remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Last year, Wildanet was awarded two contracts, totalling £36 million, by the Government to connect up to 19,250 homes and businesses in south west and mid Cornwall. This was followed in April by a further Government investment, which saw Wildanet awarded a £41 million contract to roll out new connections to a further 16,800 homes and businesses in east Cornwall, west Cornwall and the island of St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly.
CEO Helen Wylde-Archibald paid tribute to the Wildanet team and its supply chain for their achievements and the difference they are making to communities right across Cornwall.
She said: “Wildanet was founded with a mission to bridge the digital divide and to unlock the social and economic opportunities which fast, reliable internet can deliver. It’s a huge challenge and one which we could not achieve without the partnership and support of a wide range of businesses across Cornwall, Devon and beyond who share our passion, values and commitment to extending digital inclusion into the areas in which we work.
“I would like to give special mention to our Build Partners and key suppliers who have been instrumental in the roll-out of Wildanet’s Full Fibre network. The strong partnerships we have created with each one of our build partners has enabled us to achieve this milestone and to continue building the network at pace.”
