Work starts to connect thousands of homes in Sawtry, Ramsey, Stilton and Warboys to full fibre broadband

Work to connect more than 10,000 homes in four villages near Peterborough to full fibre broadband is underway

Residents in Sawtry, Ramsey, Stilton and Warboys are being connected to receive ultrafast speeds as part of a £39 million investment by rural, ultrafast broadband provider Gigaclear.

The first of 1,400 homes in Stilton have already been connected to Gigaclear’s broadband network whilst the first of more than 7,600 homeowners in Ramsey and Warboys are due to begin having access in March.

In Sawtry, where work is underway to connect more than 2,600 homes, the first properties are set to have access to full fibre broadband in April.

Engineering work in Stilton is expected to be completed by May and in Ramsey by November with Warboys and Sawtry to be fully connected to its network in early 2024.

Tony Smith, East Delivery Director for Gigaclear, said: “Unlike many other broadband providers who compete to offer their services in dense, urban areas, we’re focusing on harder-to-reach communities that are far less likely to have a choice of supplier.

He added: “Having access to reliable and fast broadband speeds is no longer a luxury but is necessary in order for many people to live their lives fully, whether it’s working from home, streaming or accessing other online entertainment.”

During the engineering work, Gigaclear will be utilising existing Openreach ducts and poles wherever possible in order to minimise disruption.