UK Project Gigabit Expands to 9,500 Additional Premises in Essex With £8.3M Government Funding

The UK government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) announced in the week of May 8, 2026 that an additional 9,500 rural and urban premises in Essex would be upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband under Project Gigabit, backed by £8.3 million in government funding with construction commencing immediately. The announcement brought UK gigabit availability to 90.63% and full-fibre availability to 84.24% of all premises — on track toward the government's 2030 target of universal gigabit coverage. Project Gigabit is the UK's largest-ever public investment in digital infrastructure, deploying gigabit-capable connections to locations not served commercially, primarily rural areas and market towns that would otherwise be excluded from the national upgrade.