Superfast broadband

Whether around the home or in the office, superfast fibre-based broadband – speeds of more than 24 Mbps and up to 80 Mbps - has lots of exciting benefits for everyone.

Faster speeds mean you can connect multiple devices, like computers, tablets, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles, to the internet at the same time, keeping everyone happy!

It also allows you to stream HD movies and music, back-up your family photos and important documents to cloud storage in seconds, download and play games online, keep in touch with family and friends, work from home and save money.

Increased upload speeds also have many advantages for businesses, including being able to attract new customers and sell more to existing customers, work smarter and quicker from anywhere and even improve your work/life balance, which is all good news for the local economy.

We have teamed up with BT, Openreach and Digital Durham to roll out superfast broadband across North Tyneside.

Many areas can already access it but this initiative aims to reach those that can’t and is expected to achieve at least 99.8 per cent coverage (possibly 100 per cent) across the borough over the next three years.

This is the best rate of coverage in the North East and one of the best in the UK.

Work began in July 2016 and more than 20 cabinets have already been upgraded to provide superfast broadband, with lots more to follow over the coming months. Eventually, more than 10,000 homes and businesses in the borough will benefit.

Over the last few months connection work has been carried out in:

• Dudley and Annitsford
• Wallsend
• North Shields
• Killingworth
• Benton

In the coming months more work will be completed in these and in many other areas of North Tyneside.

The programme can change, dependent on weather and issues on the ground so we can’t predict exactly when your area will be connected.

Find out when superfast broadband will arrive in your area by visiting Openreach.

If your postcode is included in one of the lists above it means that superfast broadband is now available to you, but remember that it is an ‘opt in’ service - your speed doesn’t automatically increase overnight;  you will need to either upgrade your service with your current provider or sign up with a new one.

Also bear in mind that, although we are working in partnership with BT and Openreach, you can sign up to a new superfast fibre service with almost any provider.

Ofcom approve ‘switch’ and ‘comparison’ sites to help you shop around for a good deal.

There’s more information on the Digital Durham and Openreach Superfast fibre sites.

If you have a specific query, you can also contact:

Mark Wilson
Commercial and Business Redesign Officer
Telephone: (0191) 643 5856
Email: mark.wilson@northtyneside.gov.uk

Watch our video to find out how businesses in North Shields are benefitting from superfast broadband:

Background

The Government wants to have nationwide gigabit-capable broadband as soon as possible. While great progress is being made, the Government is aware it needs to help in the parts of the country that are not commercially viable. 

£5bn was committed in the 2020 budget to ensure that all areas of the UK can benefit equally. The funding will be spent through a range of projects known as Project Gigabit. As part of this, Building Digital UK (BDUK) will fund contracts for suppliers to deliver gigabit-capable wholesale infrastructure to the hardest to reach areas.

Public Review stage

An Open Market Review (OMR) took place in April 2021. This OMR requested information from suppliers on their existing and planned broadband coverage over the next three years.

Durham County Council and BDUK now want to validate the information gathered through a Public Review process.

Stakeholders including the public, businesses, internet service providers and broadband infrastructure operators, are invited to provide feedback about the proposed eligible areas for government investment (intervention).

Suppliers who missed contributing to the preceding OMR, or had no definitive plans and/or evidence base on which to substantiate claims at that earlier stage, now have a final opportunity to notify Durham County Council and BDUK before the procurement stage.

Further information is available on the Durham County Council website at: http://www.durham.gov.uk/article/25622