Project Gigabit NI public review: request for information

The Department for the Economy (DfE) is conducting a public review aimed at further improving broadband infrastructure in predominantly rural and remote areas

The review is part of the planned implementation of Project Gigabit in Northern Ireland.

Project Gigabit is a £5 billion programme of government interventions to enable hard-to-reach communities across the UK to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband. It targets homes and businesses that are not included in broadband providers' plans, reaching parts of the country that might otherwise miss out on getting the digital connectivity they need.

In December 2022, DfE launched an Open Market Review (OMR) for Project Gigabit, seeking responses from all existing and prospective broadband infrastructure providers, to establish existing and planned coverage of broadband services across Northern Ireland.

DfE has now launched Project Gigabit public review to validate the results of this OMR. The review seeks to ensure that the intervention area is established as accurately as possible, based on all information obtained.

As part of the public review, all interested stakeholders, including members of the public, businesses, groups and organisations, and telecoms infrastructure providers, are invited to review if the information held on gigabit coverage at addresses across Northern Ireland is correct.

You can review this information via an online address checker on nidirect.

Responding to public review

Should you wish to respond to the public review, responses should relate to whether you have, or expect to have gigabit-capable broadband service coverage in the next three years (and beyond).

Suppliers who missed contributing to the OMR, had no definitive plans and/or evidence base on which to substantiate claims at that earlier stage, or have subsequently updated their plans, now also have a final opportunity to provide up-to-date details.

Find detailed information on this public review – request for information and how to respond.

Following the conclusion of the public review, DfE will confirm the premises which are potentially eligible for intervention. If you have any questions about Project Gigabit public review, contact gigabitNI@economy-ni.gov.uk.

First published 6 June 2023