Openreach brings ultrafast broadband to Guildford and Woking
Openreach is building a new ultrafast, Full Fibre broadband network for Guildford and Woking – giving residents and businesses access to some of the fastest, most reliable broadband anywhere in Europe.
The once-in-a-generation broadband infrastructure upgrade will let thousands of local people and businesses connect multiple devices at gigabit-capable speeds and help businesses to trade online and compete for decades to come.
Engineers have already started work in Guildford – with more than 9,000 homes and businesses already able to upgrade - and the build is expected to reach most of the town. The build in Woking has just started, and local people should notice a stronger engineer presence over the coming months.
Full Fibre broadband provides more reliable, resilient and future-proof connectivity with fewer faults, more predictable, consistent speeds and enough capacity to easily meet growing data demands.
Residents can enjoy a host of online services and entertainment, with seamless streaming and smooth online gaming. The technology also supports day-to-day, business critical tasks like video calls, banking and online customer interactions.
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.
Kieran Wines, Regional Partnership Director for Openreach, said, “We’re bringing ultrafast broadband to Guildford and Woking and we want local people to know what we’re doing.
“This is a major infrastructure upgrade, so people will have noticed that there have been more engineering teams, equipment and vans around, and we're working hard to keep disruption to a minimum.
“Wherever possible, we’re using 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.”
He added: “Guildford and Woking are part of our balanced build across the south east, which now includes more than 1,000,000 homes and businesses across the region and more than 200 rural towns and villages. We want to make sure that progress is evenly spread and that people in all parts of the south east can be online effortlessly and build opportunities in their community. Connecting everyone in the south east to our fastest and most reliable broadband would result in a multi-billion pound economic boost.”
Openreach partner MTS is helping to deliver the investment in Guildford.
Jack Digweed, Contracts Manager at Morrison Telecom Services, said, “We are delighted to be working with Openreach on this project to bring ultrafast broadband to Guildford. We believe this major investment will have a positive impact on both residents and businesses alike. At Morrison Telecom Services, we have a proven track record of delivering broadband networks and are confident that we will deliver this project to the highest standards with the collaborative relationship we have with Openreach.
“We look forward to working together to deliver this project for the local community.”
In Woking, partner Circet is helping to deliver the upgrade.
Openreach’s new ultrafast Full Fibre network in the south east now reaches more than one million properties, and the company plans to roll out the new technology to 25 million homes and businesses by the end of 2026.
You can find out more about the benefits of an upgrade to Full Fibre broadband on the Openreach website.
