GoFibre kicks off £6.6m Project Gigabit contract

GoFibre has begun work to connect more than 4,000 hard-to-reach premises in Teesdale to full fibre, having been awarded a £6.6 million contract last Autumn by Project Gigabit. 

Borderlink, trading as GoFibre, has spent the last six months planning and surveying for the build alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Durham County Council. 

Construction will take place until 2025 across Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle, Gainford, West Auckland and neighbouring communities.

CEO Neil Conaghan said: “For years, rural towns across northern England, including Teesdale, have faced a persistent digital connectivity problem, which has left local communities frustrated and very much behind in terms of infrastructure upgrades.  

“Through our partnership with the UK government and Durham County Council, construction efforts are now underway to help tackle this digital divide and isolation head on.” 

Cllr Susan McDonnell, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for digital, customer services and procurement, added: “Thus will it allow for the creation of more opportunities for employment and education, particularly around studying or working from home and help our communities to connect with each other and develop further social opportunities.”