Nottinghamshire County Council appoints Neos Networks to deliver its D2N2 Gigahubs project across the two counties
Efforts to connect rural communities across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to high-speed internet have taken a significant step forward with the appointment of telecoms specialists Neos Networks. The company will work with Openreach and Netomnia to help build the need the infrastructure.
Photo courtesy of Nottinghamshire County Council
As we’ve reported before, over 85% of the UK can now access gigabit-speed connections and the government is on course to meet its target of full gigabit coverage by 2030. The issue is that the more such high-speed internet is rolled out, the harder it becomes to close the remaining gap – because what remains are the most remote, hard to reach locations.
That’s why interventions such as the D2N2 Gigahubs project are so vital to achieving the target and ensuring everyone can benefit from high-speed connections.
Initial surveying work has already begun, with the aim to provide faster, reliable gigabit broadband to as many as 28 public buildings in rural locations. These include doctors’ surgeries, libraries and schools. The scheme is on course to be fully live by early 2026.
Eligibility to take part is based on the quality of existing broadband services, geographical location and whether the public building is due to benefit from other planned commercial broadband upgrades. Based on this, sites in Nottinghamshire currently taking part include Langar Church of England Primary School near Bingham and Queen Eleanor Primary School in Harby, near Newark.
Further eligible sites across Nottinghamshire are yet to be identified. Meanwhile, some 22 sites across Derby and Derbyshire have also been earmarked for the scheme.
The initiative is being funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (formerly the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities), through early investment as part of East Midlands Combined County Authority devolution negotiations in 2023.
Cllr Keith Girling, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Asset Management at Nottinghamshire County Council, says: ‘We are so proud to be leading this project. This appointment is great news as having better broadband in our communities will really help those who can’t afford or access high-speed broadband at home. Whole classrooms in rural areas could be online at once with no interruptions and they’ll be more options to host virtual field trips, to help broaden pupils’ educational experiences.’
David Bruce, Chief Revenue Officer at Neos Networks, adds: ‘We’re delighted to be supporting Nottinghamshire County Council with its project to improve access to better, faster connectivity for local communities in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Drawing on our extensive network reach and partnerships with established market players, the build and deployment of this new infrastructure will provide councils with a cost-effective solution to offer new digital services at local sites.
‘Much of the UK still has to deal with sub-par connectivity. This new network will ensure the availability of high-speed connectivity for citizens across urban, semi-rural and rural locations, as this project enhances digital and social inclusion across the region. We look forward to working with the county council as it promotes new social and economic opportunities for communities.’
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Broadband connections for 131,000 hard-to-reach homes and businesses
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