Broadband Upgrade Tyne Valley: Full Fibre Goes Live

Rural Tyne Valley villages connected to fast broadband

More than 1,500 homes and businesses across villages in the Tyne Valley – including Bardon Mill, Ovington, Riding Mill and Wark – can now access ultrafast, ultra-reliable full fibre broadband, just months after joining Openreach’s Fibre Community Partnership programme.

The rollout was made possible by residents applying for free Government Gigabit Broadband Vouchers, which helped fund the network build without costing households anything.

Fast build turnaround and more communities in focus

Openreach Regional Engagement Manager Louise Thompson said:

“It usually takes 12–18 months for a Fibre Community Partnership to go live – so to complete this in less than nine months is a fantastic milestone.”

Build work is already underway in Allendale, Corbridge and Haltwhistle, with even more areas in the pipeline through Openreach’s wider commercial plans – including Hexham, Prudhoe, Otterburn, Wylam, Bellingham and Stocksfield.

Fast broadband Tyne Valley – powered by fibre technology

Openreach’s Full Fibre network uses fibre-optic cables – strands of glass thinner than a human hair – to deliver:

• Gigabit-capable speeds
• Fewer faults and better reliability
• Consistent performance across multiple devices

The technology is future-proof, meaning it’s built to last for decades and won’t require regular upgrades.

Find out more about how it works in this video or visit the Full Fibre hub.

How the voucher scheme works

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme lets eligible residents pledge government-funded vouchers to help co-fund broadband upgrades. In return, they agree to:

• Order a full fibre service for at least 12 months
• Confirm that they are connected once the service is live

This model enables Openreach to bring connectivity to harder-to-reach areas much faster.

Frequently Asked Questions