Thousands of homes across Southwark set for better broadband

20 March 2018

Residents living on council estates across Southwark could get access to faster broadband by this time next year thanks to new agreements between the council and providers including Hyperoptic, and Community Fibre.

Southwark Council has entered into an agreement with Hyperoptic which will grant them access to its estates, paving the way to connect 53,000 council homes and 1,000 businesses in the borough to full fibre broadband.

This week, the council has also reached a similar access agreement with Community Fibre who will roll out its fibre optic to the home connectivity to the same area.

Cllr Fiona Colley, Cabinet member for finance, modernisation and performance at Southwark Council: “Four years ago Southwark Council committed to bringing superfast broadband to Rotherhithe and I am delighted that our plans are now bearing fruit, with residents having a choice of ways to access digital services.

“These new agreements will complement other projects we have undertaken around the borough and means we can get improved broadband into more of our council estates, increasing the choice for our tenants and making it easier for suppliers to then extend their service to private properties nearby.

“In addition, both Hyperoptic and Community Fibre have committed to providing every council-owned TRA Hall and community centre with free gigabit capable broadband connections and as we work towards getting everyone in the borough online, it is also fantastic to hear that they will be offering digital inclusion training to staff and residents on our estates so everyone can gain the knowledge and confidence to make the most of the new services being offered."

These new access agreements follow the announcement in November that the council had signed rooftop agreements with Relish for 21 of its residential blocks. These have now been installed with 17 sites already live and the remaining due to go live by the end of the month.

In his Spring Statement on Tuesday 13 March the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond MP, announced the Government’s Challenge Fund had allocated £95 million for 13 areas across the UK. Southwark was part of a successful pan-London bid, led by TfL, designed to further improve broadband across London, with two new fibre networks across the particularly bad ‘not spot’ areas of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe. Southwark will benefit from a share of an £8.5m grant to implement this over the next few years.

Page last updated: 20 March 2018