Openreach is undertaking a massive national upgrade plan of its network to full fibre, including an ambition to deliver to 25 million premises across the UK by the end of 2026. The Openreach “Fibre First” announcements to date (March 2023) involve upgrade plans in 49 exchange areas across Northamptonshire. This is good news for the county. The programme will support progress towards our local Superfast Northamptonshire targets to see 80% of premises across Northamptonshire able to access full fibre by the end of 2028.
Openreach envisage that the majority of premises in these exchange areas will be served through their Fibre First programme but they acknowledge that not all premises will benefit. This is because it is a commercial roll out – so those more costly remote premises or difficult to reach premises are unlikely to benefit.
Local councils may not be party to information on which premises remain unserved, once that is known by Openreach.
The Openreach map of Fibre First exchanges provides indicative timescales in a programme of works in Northamptonshire extending to 2026. It is currently unclear how many premises in these areas will benefit and it is possible that more remote rural premises may not be served. These premises are expected to be the focus for the government's Project Gigabit programme focused on helping the hardest to reach rural premises. It is early days for these Openreach plans and a lot of uncertainty about coverage.
The list of exchanges announced to date by Openreach include:
Adderbury, Banbury, Blisworth, Bozeat, Brackley, Braunston, Brigstock, Brixworth, Broughton, Burton Latimer, Byfield, Chapel Brampton, Cogenhoe, Corby, Creaton, Crick, Daventry, Desborough, Dunchurch, Duston, Earls Barton, Finedon, Great Oakley, Hackleton, Hanslope, Hardingstone, Harrowden, Irthlingborough, Kettering, Kings Sutton, Kingsthorpe, Kislingbury, Long Buckby, Moulton, Northampton, Oundle, Paulerspury, Raunds, Roade, Rugby, Rushden, Stamford, Stony Stratford, Thrapston, Towcester, Wansford, Weedon, Wellingborough and Yardley Gobion.
Are Openreach Fibre First plans represented on the Superfast Northamptonshire When and Where map?
Premise level information on Openreach Fibre First plans is largely not available to councils so it is difficult to represent these plans on the When and Where map. There is also still considerable uncertainty around the extent of coverage plans.
The last consultation with telecoms providers on their commercial plans in Northamptonshire closed in February 2021. Any premise level information on Openreach full fibre coverage (Fibre to the Premise) provided at that time is represented on the map. If a premise is located within an announced Fibre First exchange area, and there are no other known commercial plans i.e. the premise is White on the When and Where map, the pop up will direct the enquirer to the Openreach site for more information. This is not an indication of confirmed plans to serve the property.
Further information