Thousands of homes and businesses across Shropshire are finally set to get ultrafast full-fibre broadband, after a new contract between the Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) programme and Openreach was signed this week.
The deal will see Openreach connect around 4,000 premises in mid-west Shropshire to gigabit-capable broadband – delivering speeds of 1 Gbps or more. It’s the second major broadband contract awarded in the region this year and forms part of the Government’s Project Gigabit initiative, which aims to bring faster, more reliable internet to rural and hard-to-reach communities.
The announcement comes after a previous agreement with another provider, Voneus, was cancelled in late 2024. Local campaigners and MPs have been pushing for a replacement ever since.
South Shropshire MP Stuart Anderson welcomed the news, calling it a “major step forward” for local connectivity but urged that the rollout “must be delivered at pace”.
“Local homes and businesses rightly demand greater broadband coverage and faster speeds,” he said. “This contract will see gigabit broadband rolled out to a further 2,000 premises in South Shropshire — but it’s vital the work happens quickly so residents can start benefiting.”
At present, gigabit broadband availability across South Shropshire stands at just 42 %, well below the UK average. That means many homes and businesses still rely on slower copper connections that struggle with modern demands like streaming, remote working and cloud storage.
Once completed, the new network will future-proof these rural areas for decades to come, giving residents access to the same ultrafast speeds available in major towns and cities.
This is the second big BDUK-funded Openreach contract in Shropshire this year. Back in January, the company secured a £108 million deal to bring full fibre to 48,000 properties across east and south Shropshire, as well as parts of Herefordshire, North Wales and South-West Wales.
The latest announcement means thousands more homes are now included in the full-fibre rollout map, with work expected to begin soon.
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