More than 9,500 homes and businesses across Essex are set to receive faster and more reliable broadband, as the government expands its Project Gigabit rollout into new areas.
The latest phase of the programme marks a significant step forward in tackling digital connectivity gaps, extending upgrades beyond rural communities to include urban pockets still affected by poor internet access.
Backed by an additional £8.3 million in government funding, broadband provider Openreach will extend its rollout to communities that were not included in earlier commercial plans.
Work will begin immediately in areas including:
- Brentwood
- Chelmsford
- Basildon
- Clacton
- Ardleigh
The expansion builds on earlier progress in rural Essex, where more than 10,000 premises are already set to benefit, with around 500 connections completed to date.
While much of Essex has benefitted from commercial broadband deployment, some areas have remained underserved due to the complexity and cost of infrastructure upgrades.
In particular, housing estates, business parks and blocks of flats connected by older underground cable systems often require additional engineering work, making them less viable for commercial investment alone.
Project Gigabit funding is specifically designed to address these gaps, ensuring that residents and businesses in these areas are not left behind.
In many parts of the county, upgrades can be delivered quickly using existing underground ducting, which reduces the need for roadworks and speeds up installation.
However, in areas where such infrastructure is not available, more extensive work is required — reinforcing the importance of government support to unlock delivery in harder‑to‑reach locations.
The improved broadband connectivity is expected to deliver significant benefits for local communities and businesses.
Faster, more reliable internet access can:
- Support remote working and flexible employment
- Improve access to online services
- Enable business growth and innovation
- Strengthen digital access for education and healthcare
The government says expanding high‑speed connectivity is key to breaking down barriers to opportunity and supporting economic growth across the UK.
Project Gigabit is a major national programme aimed at delivering gigabit‑capable broadband to homes and businesses that would otherwise be excluded from commercial rollouts.
To date, more than 1.3 million premises across the UK have been upgraded with government support, with most early investment focused on rural communities.
The Essex expansion represents a new phase in the programme, targeting areas where urban connectivity gaps persist.
Extending coverage to both rural and urban hard‑to‑reach areas is seen as essential to achieving the government’s ambition of full gigabit broadband coverage by 2030. By ensuring that no communities are left behind, the programme aims to support a more digitally connected and economically resilient UK.
The expansion of Project Gigabit in Essex highlights the importance of targeted investment in closing the digital divide.
Liz Lloyd, Telecoms Minister, said:
“Project Gigabit is bringing better internet to more blackspots across the UK, thanks to government backing. This is the very first contract that’s focusing on urban areas, not just the countryside.
“Pockets of our towns and cities are still left disconnected. To reach our 99% coverage target, it is vital no urban neighbourhood slips through the net.
“We’ve already got the ball rolling to connect areas of Essex missing out, and now we’re extending our efforts so that even more residents can access the digital opportunities they deserve.”
With thousands more homes and businesses set to benefit, the programme is helping ensure that modern, high‑speed connectivity becomes a standard service, rather than a postcode lottery.
Image credit: iStock
