As the UK’s largest phone and broadband network, Openreach is at the heart of the UK’s digital transformation, with our new Full Fibre network already providing consistent, fast and reliable broadband to millions of homes and businesses.

Already, around 700,000 homes and businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber can access the new network following a regional investment of around £210 million.

Openreach has also announced plans to invest in Full Fibre broadband for the majority of premises in dozens of towns and villages across Yorkshire and the Humber including Addingham, Huby, Huddersfield, Keighley, Pontefract, Steeton, Strensall, Thorne, Wakefield and Wheldrake, announced earlier this year.

Full fibre broadband is being rolled out across Yorkshire.

It’s part of the company’s plans to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses by the end of 2026.

This new future-proof technology is up to ten times faster than the average UK broadband connection and around five times more reliable than the old copper-based network it’s replacing.

This means faster game downloads, better quality video calls and higher resolution movie streaming, with fewer faults, more predictable, consistent speeds, and enough capacity to use multiple devices at once.

More than 2,800 of our people live and work in Yorkshire and the Humber and most of them are busy working on the broadband network every day, tackling complicated engineering problems and coordinating works with councils, highways agencies, energy suppliers and landowners.

They’re part of team working in every community across the UK to connect homes, schools, shops, banks, hospitals, libraries, mobile phone masts, broadcasters, governments and businesses – large and small – to the world.

The Full Fibre network is a major infrastructure upgrade, so there will be more engineering teams, equipment and vans around out and about, and we’re working closely with the local authorities 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.

Research shows that this new network will give businesses an edge and provide families and home-workers with future-proof connectivity that will deal with whatever life throws at us next.

Our investment across the region will continue at pace, and we’re determined to deliver a great service which helps communities thrive and supports people to work from home easily, keep in touch with their loved ones and build connections and opportunities.

As Full Fibre is becoming available to more communities every week, it’s important to check your postcode on our website to make sure you’re benefitting from the fastest available speeds as upgrades aren’t automatic.

Matthew Lovegrove is Openreach Partnership Manager for Yorkshire and the Humber

Openreach full fibre broadband rollout will give Yorkshire businesses an edge - Matthew Lovegrove