Broadband upgrade for New Forest

A Project Gigabit contract has been awarded to Wessex Internet to roll out broadband to around 10,500 homes and businesses in the New Forest.

The first properties are expected to be connected in February 2024.

Wessex Internet will work closely with Forestry England and the Verderers of the New Forest over the three-year programme, with work set to begin later this year.

Digital infrastructure minister Julia Lopez said: "Thanks to this latest multi-million pound contract for the New Forest, thousands of hard-to-reach homes and businesses in this stunning area will benefit from a state-of-the-art network ready to provide the speed and reliability we will all need in the decades ahead.

"The Prime Minister has put growing the economy as one of his five top priorities, and this investment will go far in delivering on that mission here in the New Forest by equipping rural areas with the infrastructure they need for the digital age."

Forestry England’s local spokesperson said: "We very much look forward to supporting Wessex Internet’s delivery of ultrafast full fibre broadband on sensitive land managed by Forestry England over the next few years and hope this will have a positive impact on many residents across the New Forest."

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