Project Stratum: More homes and businesses set for faster broadband

An additional 8,500 homes and businesses across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from faster broadband.

It is part of the remit of Project Stratum, which has been extended because of an additional £32m.

Project Stratum is a £165m investment in rural broadband, largely funded by £150m from the DUP and Conservative Party confidence and supply agreement.

About 85,000 premises are set to benefit in total when the project is completed in 2025.

Of the £32m, £22m came from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and £5m from both the Department for the Economy and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

One of those who will now be included in the scheme is Michael Carson who lives near the Gobbins in Islandmagee, County Antrim.

He said: "We're completely off grid, we've no mains water, no mains electricity, we don't have broadband.

"Can you imagine what it's like? Some of us here do actually work from home and it's really difficult to do business if you don't have broadband. It's a must have nowadays.

"We're now in 2022, whereas down here at the Gobbins we are back in the 1890s.

"Personally, I'm going to enjoy streaming movies. My son, who is a student in England, was home for Christmas and had to do research, so it will be great when he comes back here that he'll have access to the outside world."

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said: "Drawing on the same best practices acknowledged in the recent NIAO Report on Project Stratum procurement and contract management, the department has recognised a need to bring into scope of the contract the additional 8,500 eligible premises that are now set to benefit from this much-needed public intervention.

"The additional premises include 2,500 harder-to-reach properties that were out of scope of the original contract, plus a further 6,000 premises."

Fibrus Networks was awarded the contract in November 2020.

By the end of 2021, it had delivered new infrastructure to more than 22,000 premises.

Fibrus Networks' chief operating officer Conor Harrison said what they were "delivering is the most important infrastructure project of a generation".

"At Fibrus we thrive on the impact it is having on rural people, families, and local businesses," he added.

"By the end of 2025, our hope is that every property has access to proper fibre infrastructure, and we intend to play our part in making this a reality."

UK Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said the government was delivering on its "plan to level up Northern Ireland with better broadband".