Project Gigabit

Building Digital UK (BDUK) has launched a new UK Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme which will provide vouchers worth up to £4,500 for homes and businesses in the hardest to reach rural areas with current speeds of less than 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to support the cost of installing new gigabit-capable connections to their doorstep when part of a group scheme. We will provide more information on this webpage as soon as this scheme is available in Wiltshire.

Broadband Universal Service Obligation

In addition to the Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme, Central Government passed legislation to ensure that every home and business in the UK has the legal right to request a decent, affordable broadband connection.

If you cannot get a download speed of 10Mbps and an upload speed of 1Mbps, you can request an upgraded connection. You can make this request direct to BT and you do not need to be an existing customer of BT to apply.

Learn more about the Universal Service Obligation at: Your right to request a decent broadband service: What you need to know - Ofcom (opens new window), including eligibility criteria and how to apply.

BDUK is investing £5 billion to level up hard-to-reach premises and deliver next-generation connectivity. To evidence progress and showcase the connections made up and down the country, the BDUK Engagement and Public Information team are on the lookout for case study candidates.

Have you connected a public facility that now reaches more customers, an entrepreneur who can run their business more successfully remotely, or a youth group that helps their community? BDUK wants to hear about the diverse and interesting connections made, the hard-to-reach places and the unique characters you've met along the way.

Hopefully, you and BDUK can work together to maximise impact and any positive coverage. To let BDUK know about case studies, please fill in their form: BDUK Case Study form (opens new window).

BDUK conducted an open market review (OMR) of the above area from 20 October to 22 November 2021, to identify where there was current or planned investment over the next three years (and beyond) in broadband infrastructure.

From 29 March to 29 April 2022, a PR was subsequently launched in the area to allow the market and interested stakeholders to review, validate, and build upon the findings of the OMR.

The outcome of the PR, for the second release of phase 2 areas, was summarised in terms of White, Grey, Black, and Under Review premises. The closure notices detailing the outcomes for the second release of phase 2 areas listed above, was initially published on 21 September 2022.

Following on from this, BDUK proceeded to design the intervention area (IA) for Lot 30, and complete several rounds of pre-procurement market engagement (PPME), with suppliers to understand levels of interest. The finalised draft IA is now available to view via the link above.

BDUK will only provide subsidy to target premises that have been designated as White. Premises which have been designated as Under Review may be included within the deferred scope of a procurement. Where this is the case, a further review will be undertaken to confirm whether they are Grey or White, before they are released for build.

In accordance with the OMR/PR processes, supplier data submitted during the OMR and PR has been mapped using a methodology that protects commercially sensitive supplier data. To reflect this sensitivity, BDUK will only release White, and Under Review, UPRNs.

Subject to the relevant data-sharing agreements, BDUK can share the list of premises which have been designated as White, and Under Review, with suppliers. If you are a supplier who responded directly to the PR, BDUK have already uploaded this file into your shared external drive. If you are a supplier who did not respond to the PR but would like access to this information, please contact ukgigabit@bduk.zendesk.com (opens new window) to submit a formal request.

Now that the PPME exercise has concluded, it is anticipated that the second release of phase 2 areas will issue procurements to the market.

Lot 30 - is anticipated to be a single Type B regional supplier contract.

The procurements are anticipated to launch before the end of February 2023.

Further information on the IA designed for Lot 30 can be found within Annex B of the closure notices linked above. These maps are accompanied by a list of UPRNs that fall within the IA, clearly indicating which premises are within the initial or deferred scope which suppliers can also request via ukgigabit@bduk.zendesk.com (opens new window).

Should you have any questions on the procurement process, please direct these to BDUK's supplier mailbox bduksuppliers@dcms.gov.uk (opens new window).

Planned voucher pause for cross-regional procurement (Supplier bulletin No 96)

BDUK is preparing to launch a cross-regional procurement. In order to enable finalisation of the intervention areas ahead of this, vouchers will need to be paused for all UPRNs within any of the impacted areas that are currently un-paused.

BDUK will therefore be re-pausing vouchers in the following Lots to enable a new cross-regional procurement:

• Hertfordshire (Lot 26)
• parts of Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire (Lot 30) 
• Staffordshire (Lot 19)

The deadline for suppliers to submit any new applications for projects in the above areas was 5pm on 10 February 2023.

For a full view of which UPRNs are un-paused and eligible for voucher funding please download the GOV.UK: Guidance - Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme information (opens new window).

Approved projects received prior to the cut-off date will be added to the voucher priority area (VPA) for the relevant lot and delivery will be able to continue for these projects throughout the cross-regional procurement. It should be noted that the above areas were previously paused to allow consideration of regional procurements in 2022. The VPAs which were formulated at this time will be re-used following a review of any projects which are no longer active.

Please speak to your commercial manager if you are unsure which of your projects in the above areas are set to be included within the VPA. Further information about voucher priority areas (VPAs) and an up-to-date list of which areas are currently paused can be found on the VPA page: GOV.UK: Guidance - Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme information (opens new window).

BDUK may consider, at its own discretion, projects which are submitted after a pause has come into effect. If projects are at an advanced stage of development and there is a strong case to suggest that they are likely to deliver gigabit connections faster and at better value than a GIS procurement then they may be added to the VPA for that area.

Recording of training session delivered on 11 January 2023: GBVS Funding Platform Training, 11 Jan 2023, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (YouTube) (opens new window)

If you have queries relating to the platform, or would like to report an issue, please use the following routes:

• technical queries (queries relating to something not working as it should) - please raise a Technical Support Ticket. This option is found in the menu in the top right of the funding platform - click 'Support' and complete the form using examples and screenshots as necessary.
• procedural queries (queries relating to project or voucher details and creation) - please use the 'Raise Query' function within the actions menu. These will be routed to the BDUK voucher operations team.
• migration queries (queries relating to your migration to the new platform) - please contact gbvshelp@dcms.gov.uk (opens new window)

Further information:

• latest Go List of premises eligible for vouchers: GOV.UK: Guidance - Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme information (opens new window)
• information about accessing sites prior to obtaining work permits, please contact highwayrecords@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)
• seeking a permit that links to the council highway records, please contact streetworks@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)
• terms and conditions can be found at: GOV.UK: Guidance - Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme information (opens new window)
• voucher priority areas and key dates visit the Voucher Priority Areas in the Regional Supplier Contracts page of the GBVS website: GOV.UK: Guidance - Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme information (opens new window)
• broader overview of BDUK's work: BDUK website (GOV.UK) (opens new window)
• the Digital Connectivity Portal (GOV.UK) (opens new window)
• resources for communications network providers (GOV.UK) (opens new window)

Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) is a connectivity technology that is based on a combination of fibre optic cable and copper cable, it is the most common type of broadband connection used in UK homes.

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) - sometimes called ultrafast broadband - is where a fibre cable runs directly from the telephone exchange into your home or business.

FTTP is capable of far higher speeds and typically offers the same speed of upload as with download. FTTC on the other hand has a much lower speed ceiling and upload speeds are often a fraction of download speeds.

Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) is a connectivity technology that is based on a combination of fibre optic cable and copper cable, it is the most common type of broadband connection used in UK homes

The improved infrastructure will be used by Internet Service Providers (ISP) to offer a range of broadband packages to customers. If your current broadband package meets your needs, then you do not need to do anything. However, if you want more than what you are currently receiving (for example faster speeds) you will need to upgrade your existing package. It is important to note that your broadband speed does not automatically improve, you do need to upgrade to a fibre package to benefit from faster speeds.

Although Openreach is installing the infrastructure, they are providing an open network which means a wide range of ISPs will be given the opportunity to offer their services across the improved network; this means you should be able to choose from a range of providers to purchase the best package to suit your needs. However, please note that the decision to provide services will be down to each individual ISP as per their business model and is outside of the control of this project to influence.

Before ordering a new service, especially if you are considering changing providers, we would advise checking with your existing ISP that you're not tied into a contract as it may cost you to move.

To check out the best deals for your area, there are multiple broadband comparison sites you can use to check what ISPs are offering. The Ofcom (Office of Communications) website: Price comparison (ofcom.org.uk) (opens new window) will give you access to Ofcom accredited comparison websites.

We would always recommend the use of a broadband comparison website to identify those ISPs who have chosen to provide a fibre service from the upgraded infrastructure; don't assume that your existing ISP will be offering a fibre service as not all ISPs choose to do so.

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) - sometimes called ultrafast broadband - is where a fibre cable runs directly from the telephone exchange into your home or business.

Who can I buy it from?

The first thing you need to do is visit: Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband service providers (openreach.com) (opens new window) to see which providers can offer ultrafast fibre broadband. Please note that we do not endorse one provider over another, and we encourage you to undertake your own research to identify an ISP and package that best suits your particular needs.

Unlike a Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) connection, FTTP installation requires a broadband engineer to bring the fibre cables all the way into your premises.

Step 1 - Place an order

As mentioned previously, not every ISP offers FTTP currently, so it is important that you investigate which suppliers can provide the service. When placing an order with your chosen ISP, they will provide you with a date when an engineer will come out to carry out tests or even a survey, should one be necessary.

Step 2 - Survey

In the early stages of an order, a site survey may be required to assess what work needs to be done to install the fibre connection. It is important to note that no work will be carried out without your permission and you agreeing to any costs that may be associated with this for which you are liable. In some cases, additional works may be required to bring the fibre cable into your premises.

Step 3 - Engineer appointment

Fibre optic cable is run via underground ducts or telegraph poles to your premises and connected to a small box on the wall. The engineer connects the fibre optic cable to a small box (approximately 15 cm x 10 cm x 3 cm) which will need to be fixed to the outside wall of your premises; the box will need to be installed at a height that can be worked on from ground level.

There is also a requirement to perform some work inside your premises. The interior work is needed to extend the fibre optic cable inside the premises. A special fibre optic modem known as an Optical Network Termination device is connected.

There may be a short interruption to your telephone service during this work. Also, if you have an alarm on your phone line, please let your provider know that your line may go down for a few minutes, which could trigger a false alarm on any security system linked to your telephone line.

If you're moving to Wiltshire, as a first step, you will need to establish the existing speed of supply to the properties you are considering. If there is currently a live telecoms connection to the property, we suggest contacting the estate agent to ask for the phone number of the premises so that you can use a broadband comparison website to identify what Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can offer. If this isn't possible, you can use BT's broadband availability checker website: BT Broadband (btwholesale.com) (opens new window) to check the potential speed of connection currently available to the property, using the existing telephone number or address (please note that address searches provide only an indicative result).

If you can not get a result using the above methods, then please contact us at broadband@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) for advice.

If you are thinking of buying a new build, talk to the developer and ask what their plans are to provide fibre broadband to the site. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that Wiltshire Council will be able to provide fibre broadband to new developments as the responsibility for connection rests with the developer.

We do not have a contractual relationship with any ISP, therefore, the contract you enter into with your ISP is outside the scope of this project to manage or influence. If you have complaints about your level of service, you will need to take this up directly with your ISP or Ofcom. The Ofcom website can be found at www.ofcom.org.uk (opens new window) or you can call them on 0300 123 3333 or 020 7981 3040.

Our contract specifically invests in upgrading the infrastructure that provides fibre broadband, which is then open to any Internet Service Provider (ISP). As a result, we do not have a contractual relationship with any ISP,  and therefore the contract you enter into with your ISP is outside the scope of this project to manage or influence. If you have queries about your service or engineer visits, you will need to contact your ISP directly.

Superfast broadband does have line length limitations which means that, even though your street cabinet may be fibre enabled, it doesn't automatically follow that everyone will be able to get a superfast service; we do however anticipate most residents will see an uplift in speed. Again, we recommend the use of a broadband comparison website such as BT Broadband (btwholesale.com) (opens new window) to identify those ISPs offering an improved fibre service to your premises.

You can also use BT's broadband availability checker website BT Broadband (btwholesale.com) (opens new window) to check the potential speed of connection currently available to the property, using the existing number or address (please note that address searches provide only an indicative result).

Reasons that you may not be able to order a superfast service include the fact that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has chosen not to provide a fibre service from the upgraded cabinet; therefore, we always recommend the use of a broadband comparison website such as BT Broadband (btwholesale.com) (opens new window) to identify those ISPs who are offering fibre to your premises.