Chancellor Philip Hammond to announce 400m investment in fibre broadband infrastructure

At Telcom UK, we welcome the Treasury’s intention to announce a dedicated investment to accelerate the adoption of high-speed internet across the country, and are looking forward to the full Autumn Statement tomorrow.

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, is expected to pledge £400m of public funds to extend the UK’s “full-fibre” broadband network in the Autumn Statement on Wednesday.

The aim of the funding, which is part of a larger Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund, is believed to help at least two million more homes and business get connected to fibre broadband.

The investment will also have a separate pot to support the development of 5G connection across the country.
Currently, only 2% of the UK has access to “full-fibre” connection, capable of download speeds of up to one gigabit per second.

As an Internet Provider invested in growing communities and supporting local businesses across the North West, we see the upcoming announcement as a great opportunity to modernise the country’s internet infrastructure. The UK, the world’s fifth largest economy, ranks 14th when it comes to coverage above 10Mbs, lagging behind many European countries such as Belgium and Romania.

The details that will be revealed in the upcoming days will help shed some light on the targeting of the investment, in terms of regions, technology, and whether home and business internet will be given the same priority.

Shaun, CEO of Telcom commented “We welcome the intention of the Treasury, and we look forward to receiving all the details to plan our contribution to expanding the UK’s infrastructure and making sure it’s ready for the future”.

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