Broadband boost for Leicestershire villages – but some risk missing out

Earlier this year, people living in more than 30 rural communities in and around Melton Mowbray rallied together to enable Openreach to build a new full fibre network.

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

Already, more than a third of households that pledged free government vouchers have upgraded and are using faster and more reliable speeds. But that also means thousands are yet to make the switch.

Leicestershire County Council and Openreach are now raising awareness of how to upgrade, which is as simple as getting in touch with their broadband provider and asking about full fibre options.

Wendy Sycamore, Openreach’s regional engagement manager, said: “Upgrading to full fibre is easy but it doesn’t happen automatically. Openreach’s fibre checker has the latest information about our work in Leicestershire. And once full fibre is available where you live, all you need to do is contact your broadband company, place an order and we’ll do the rest.

“This huge infrastructure success story is making such a difference, especially here in Leicestershire. No company is building faster or further in Europe, that we’re aware of. And we won’t be stopping either, with plans to reach more cities, market towns, and our most rural communities.

“Openreach’s network offers the widest choice of providers such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone, and Zen – which means people have lots of choice and can get a great deal.”

The work in Leicestershire is part of Openreach’s £15 billion investment to upgrade the UK’s broadband infrastructure - making gigabit-capable technology available to 25 million homes and businesses by the end of 2026.

Councillor Pam Posnett, cabinet member for communities, said: “It’s great news that more of our rural communities are benefiting from full fibre technology, providing more reliable and resilient connectivity.

“This means fewer faults, more consistent speeds, and enough capacity to easily meet growing data demands.

“It's also future proof, which means it will serve generations to come and won’t need to be upgraded for decades.

“I’d encourage people to check whether full fibre is available to them and to take advantage of an upgraded broadband connection if they can. For people concerned about the cost of upgrading, some providers offer cheaper broadband packages to people claiming Universal Credit and other benefits through ‘social tariffs’”

Openreach’s new ultrafast Full Fibre network in the East Midlands now reaches more than one million properties. More than 1,400 Openreach engineers live and work in the region.

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

Fibre optics - strands of glass around one-tenth the thickness of a human hair - transmit data using light signals. Fibre is smaller, lighter and more durable than copper cabling and less vulnerable to damage.

This short video explains what full fibre technology is and there’s more info here.