Openreach bringing Full Fibre broadband to thousands more Cumbria homes

Openreach is bringing Full Fibre broadband to thousands more properties across Cumbria – giving residents and businesses access to some of the fastest, most reliable broadband anywhere in Europe.

The once-in-a-generation, full fibre broadband upgrades will let thousands of local people connect multiple devices at gigabit-capable speeds and help businesses trade online and compete for decades to come.

Engineers are currently working in Cockermouth, Millom, Carlisle, Wigton, Maryport, Workington, Aspatria, Kirkby Lonsdale, Kirkby Stephen, Appleby, Grange Over Sands, Egremont, Whitehaven, Keswick and Harrington.

Areas like Keswick, Kirkby Lonsdale and Windermere already have substantial Full Fibre networks, with the majority of properties able to upgrade.

They’re among the 160,000 homes and businesses throughout Cumbria that can switch now.

Fibre technology provides more reliable, resilient and future-proof connectivity, with fewer faults; more predictable, consistent speeds; and enough capacity to easily meet growing data demands.

It boosts every online experience, from seamless streaming and gaming for households to smooth video calls, banking and customer interactions for businesses, with much less buffering or slowdown at busy times.

Local people can visit openreach.co.uk/ultrafastfullfibre to register for updates and, as the build progresses, check their addresses to see when services are available from their chosen provider.

Robert Thorburn, Openreach Partnership Director, said: “We’re bringing full fibre broadband to thousands more Cumbria homes and letting local people know what to expect.

“This is a major infrastructure upgrade, so there will be more engineering teams, equipment and vans around town, and we're working hard to keep disruption to a minimum.

“Wherever possible, we’ll use our existing network of ducts and poles to avoid roadworks, new street furniture and disturbance. But there may be places where we need to install new poles, underground ducts and fibre cables because it’s the only way to make sure households get included in the upgrade.

“Openreach is committed to building the best full fibre network, and doing it sustainably is crucial for our business, the communities we serve, and the environment we all share. As part of our ‘Let’s Reach Zero’ strategy, we aim to lower our carbon emissions, use less and waste less material, and protect nature wherever we operate.”

Openreach’s full fibre network now reaches more than 20 million properties, and the company plans to extend this to 25 million homes and businesses by the end of 2026, with a belief it can reach as many as 30 million by the end of the decade – with the right investment conditions.

You can find out more about the benefits of an upgrade to Full Fibre broadband on the Openreach website.