A £15m project to expand the high-speed fibre broadband footprint across the north has moved to the procurement stage.
The Full Fibre Northern Ireland Consortium (FFNI) comprises all ten councils outside of Belfast and is hosted by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
Its aim is to install ultrafast fibre ‘gigabit capable’ broadband to public sector buildings across the ten council areas.
The procurement of the fibre infrastructure is currently under way to identify the preferred bidders by mid-June 2020.
FFNI says the project will transform connectivity for almost 1,000 public sector sites and deliver a major GVA (gross value added) boost across the region through improved connectivity.
The chairman of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s development committee, Alderman Allan Ewart said: “FFNI secured £15m of LFFN funding in March 2019 from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
“The council welcomes this £1.5 million investment for our council area. It will contribute to the development of important telecoms infrastructure and full fibre at all our council facilities.
“This investment has the potential to provide improved digital connectivity and unlock considerable economic value across the city. It will make it easier for suppliers to provide full fibre to nearby business and domestic properties.”
The UK Government's Minister for Digital Infrastructure, Matt Warman, said, "We are taking the next step in our plans to future proof Northern Ireland’s broadband for a generation.
“This £15 million investment from the UK government will boost public services and buildings with gigabit broadband and encourage suppliers to improve connections to nearby homes and businesses in the process."
