Building a connected county
Superfast Essex is a programme run by Digital Essex. It started in 2012 to bring faster broadband to homes and businesses across the county. Since then, we’ve helped upgrade one in every six addresses in Essex to fibre broadband.
Our contracts
We’ve delivered eleven broadband contracts with Openreach and Gigaclear. Three of these, Gigaclear phases 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4, are still ongoing.
How we funded our projects
Our work is funded by Essex County Council, the UK Government, and broadband companies like Openreach and Gigaclear. Local councils have also supported us.
One project, Phase 4b, was delivered by Openreach. It brought ultrafast broadband to nearly 1,000 businesses and 2,700 homes. This was made possible by a £5 million grant from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, plus £2.5 million from other partners.
Helping people get online
Not everyone in Essex uses the internet. One in five households don’t go online at all. Many others only know the basics.
We’re working with local partners to change this. We want everyone to have access to the internet, be able to afford it, and feel confident using it. Our projects and campaigns help people build the skills they need to get connected and stay connected.