Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is urging residents and businesses to check if their postcode is included on a list for improvements to broadband as part of Project Stratum.
Project Stratum is a £165m broadband improvement scheme, funded through monies made available as part of the Confidence and Supply agreement which aims to improve broadband connectivity by extending Next Generation Access (NGA) broadband infrastructure (sometimes called superfast broadband) to premises across Northern Ireland that cannot yet access NGA broadband services. The contract, representing an investment of £150m by the Department for the Economy (DfE) and £15m by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) – has been awarded to Fibrus Networks Ltd with works currently underway to improve broadband services in listed areas.
Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Errol Thompson, said: “Due to technological advances, the world is now a village and the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to increase reliance on technology for new ways of staying connected and doing business. We are heavily reliant on technology to keep in touch, work, learn, shop and do business and access to reliable good quality broadband is now more important than ever.”
The Council has long lobbied key stakeholders for investment in broadband within the district so our residents and businesses can enjoy the benefits access to high quality broadband can bring.
Project Stratum is bringing next generation broadband services to those homes and businesses that most need it, having been previously identified by the Department for the Economy as unable to access 30 megabits per second.
The roll out of the contract is very welcome, however we want to ensure that no one is left behind and I urge people to visit the hyperfastni website to check if their premises is included on the list for improvements. Indeed, if owners believe their premises may have been eligible and are not included on the list, I would advise them to make contact with the Department for the Economy.”
To check if premises are included on the list for improvement, please visit www.hyperfastni.com.
Premises not included on the list can still register interest with Fibrus Networks at www.hyperfastni.com to be considered for connection during the network rollout if Fibrus infrastructure is passing close to the premises and it is considered by the contractor to be commercially viable.
If you think your premises should be included in Project Stratum and is not currently listed , please contact the Project Stratum team at stratum@economy-ni.gov.uk. ?You will need to provide a full postal address, postcode and existing broadband strength together with details of when the building was built and when it was first occupied.
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