Broadband delivery challenges for parts of Gigaclear’s rollout

Over 93% of premises across Herefordshire can now access superfast broadband. However, the rollout of fibre to reach remaining properties in some of the most rural parts of the county is challenging.

Whilst Gigaclear has connected nearly 8,931 rural properties in Herefordshire to access a gigabit-capable, full-fibre broadband connection, reaching rural premises will require significant additional resources and may prove challenging within the terms of the current contract.  Therefore up to 2,324 premises are currently under commercial review in Herefordshire. Premises affected are outlined on the address checker above as “under review”.

Gareth Williams, CEO of Gigaclear said:
“We sympathise with the impacted communities in Herefordshire and understand that the continued delays are very disappointing.  However, we are still working collaboratively with Fastershire to find a solution for those areas.  Some of the premises in these areas are the most difficult to connect because there is very little existing infrastructure, the properties are geographically scattered and recent changes to the regulatory environment have damaged the investment case to connect these areas.  We are grateful to the local authority for giving us the opportunity to be part of their broadband programme and we will continue to explore how we can connect the communities affected”.

Statement from Herefordshire Council:
“Whilst we recognise the contribution Gigaclear has made in meeting the ambitions of Herefordshire in having some of the fastest broadband in the country, we are incredibly disappointed that we now have premises under review.  Our priority continues to be finding a solution for those communities including engaging with national government”.

There are some useful online resources that may help you improve your existing connection, please visit, Ofcom and ThinkBroadband.

Gigaclear’s rollout across the two counties was split into smaller network sections and to date, almost 200 network sections are either complete, in-build or will go into build shortly.

However, the following network sections are now under commercial review;