Fast fibre rollout set to transform rural Derbyshire and Staffordshire

We’re helping connect rural communities across Derbyshire and Staffordshire

Rural communities across Derbyshire and Staffordshire are set for a major digital upgrade as work begins to roll out fast, reliable full fibre broadband to thousands of homes and businesses previously left behind by the digital revolution.

Under the government-backed Project Gigabit programme, operators including Connect Fibre and Openreach are preparing to bring gigabit-capable connections to some of the region’s hardest-to-reach areas from 2025 onwards. Supporting this effort on the ground is Core Utilities Ltd, which is delivering critical infrastructure to help make these ambitious plans a reality.

For residents and businesses in villages such as Eckington, Hulland Ward and Shirley – where slow or unreliable broadband has been a fact of life for years – the rollout promises to be nothing short of transformational.

Closing the digital divide in rural communities

While towns and cities across the UK have gradually benefitted from faster broadband over the past decade, many rural areas have struggled with outdated connections, patchy coverage and speeds that simply can’t keep up with modern demands.

In parts of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, slow broadband has affected everything from home working and online learning to running a small business, accessing public services, or staying in touch with family and friends.

For these communities, full fibre – where fibre optic cables run all the way to the property, rather than stopping at a street cabinet – represents a step change. It can deliver gigabit speeds (1,000 Mbps and beyond), providing the capacity and reliability needed for today’s and tomorrow’s digital services.

The fast fibre rollout across rural Derbyshire and Staffordshire is designed to tackle this long-standing digital divide head on, ensuring that villages and hamlets are no longer left behind simply because of their postcode.

Project Gigabit: a national programme with local impact

Project Gigabit is the UK Government’s flagship programme to extend gigabit-capable broadband to the hardest-to-reach areas that are not being served by commercial rollouts alone. Backed by significant public investment, it focuses on rural and semi-rural communities where upgrading infrastructure is often more complex and costly.

In Derbyshire and north-east Staffordshire, Connect Fibre is one of the operators taking forward this mission, building new full fibre networks to reach homes and businesses that have previously been missed. In Staffordshire, Openreach – the UK’s largest digital network provider – is playing a central role in delivering new gigabit-capable connections to rural communities.

The programme is not just about laying cables. It involves careful planning, collaboration with local authorities and community groups, and a strong emphasis on delivering long-term value – ensuring the networks built today will serve local people and businesses for decades to come.

Core Utilities Ltd: delivering the infrastructure behind the upgrade

At the heart of any fibre rollout is the civil engineering and infrastructure work that makes it possible. This is where Core Utilities Ltd comes in.

Working in partnership with main operators such as Connect Fibre and Openreach, Core Utilities Ltd is responsible for much of the on-the-ground activity needed to bring full fibre to rural Derbyshire and Staffordshire. That includes:

• Surveying and planning routes for new ducting and fibre
• Carrying out excavation, reinstatement and street works
• Installing ducts, chambers and other underground infrastructure
• Supporting pole installations and fibre cabling
• Coordinating with local authorities, highways and landowners
• Ensuring work is carried out safely, efficiently and with minimal disruption

A spokesperson for Core Utilities Ltd said:

“We’re proud to be supporting the fast fibre rollout across rural Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Our teams are on the ground every day helping Connect Fibre, Openreach and other partners extend full fibre into areas that have been underserved for far too long. This is about more than faster internet – it’s about giving rural communities the connectivity they need to thrive in a modern, digital economy.”

Villages in focus: Eckington, Hulland Ward and Shirley

For many residents in villages like Eckington, Hulland Ward and Shirley, the full fibre rollout cannot come soon enough.

In these and similar communities, traditional copper-based broadband has frequently delivered inconsistent speeds, particularly at peak times. Families trying to work from home, stream, study online and run a business from the same connection have often faced a daily juggling act.

Under Project Gigabit, and with the support of operators such as Connect Fibre and Openreach, these villages are among the areas targeted for full fibre connections from 2025 onwards. The aim is to replace ageing, capacity-limited infrastructure with future-proof fibre that runs directly to people’s homes and premises.

Residents can expect:

• Much higher download and upload speeds
• More reliable connections, even at busy times
• Improved support for home working, video calls and cloud services
• Better experiences for streaming, gaming and smart home technology
• Stronger digital foundations for local businesses and community services

Backed by local initiatives such as Digital Derbyshire

The fast fibre rollout across rural Derbyshire does not exist in isolation. It is supported by local initiatives such as Digital Derbyshire, which has long worked to improve connectivity across the county.

Digital Derbyshire provides information, signposting and sometimes access to grants or support for residents and businesses, particularly when it comes to upgrading connections, choosing a provider, or understanding what new services are available as fibre networks go live.

By aligning with programmes like Digital Derbyshire, the rollout partners aim to ensure that:

• Residents know when and how they can order a new full fibre service
• Local businesses can get advice on maximising the benefits of faster connectivity
• Vulnerable or digitally excluded groups are supported in making the transition
• Community leaders are kept informed about timelines and street works

This partnership approach helps to turn new infrastructure on the ground into real-world improvements in people’s lives, ensuring communities are ready to take advantage of the opportunities that fast fibre brings.

Supporting main operators Openreach and Connect Fibre

As part of the broader Project Gigabit effort, the roles of Openreach and Connect Fibre are especially important in Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

• Connect Fibre is working across Derbyshire and north-east Staffordshire to extend full fibre deeper into rural communities, focusing on areas where existing networks have struggled to keep pace with demand.
• Openreach is leading key rural builds in Staffordshire, bringing its extensive engineering expertise and national-scale experience to some of the county’s most challenging environments.

Core Utilities Ltd is supporting both Openreach and Connect Fibre through the delivery of essential civil infrastructure. This collaborative model ensures that each organisation brings its strengths to the table: operators focus on network design, technology and service activation, while Core Utilities Ltd concentrates on safe, efficient physical delivery in streets, verges and fields.

A representative from the project delivery team commented:

“Rural builds are rarely straightforward. You’re dealing with narrow lanes, historic villages, sensitive environments and long distances between properties. By working closely with main operators like Openreach and Connect Fibre, and with local councils, we can plan works carefully and deliver fibre in a way that respects local communities while still moving at pace.”

Economic, social and environmental benefits

The benefits of full fibre connectivity extend far beyond having a faster internet connection at home.

For the local economy, gigabit-capable networks can help:

• Support existing rural businesses and attract new ones
• Enable more people to work remotely without needing to commute long distances
• Encourage entrepreneurship, including home-based and digital-first ventures
• Boost tourism by helping accommodation providers and attractions offer better digital services

Socially, full fibre helps residents:

• Stay in touch with friends and family via video calls
• Access online education, training and skills development
• Use digital health and social care services more effectively
• Participate in community groups and local democracy online

From an environmental perspective, better connectivity can reduce the need for travel, support smarter use of energy and resources, and make it easier for organisations to adopt greener, more efficient ways of working.

For rural Derbyshire and Staffordshire, these combined benefits could play a significant role in supporting long-term growth, resilience and quality of life.

Minimising disruption and listening to local communities

Rolling out full fibre in rural areas inevitably involves civil engineering works – from digging narrow trenches and installing ducts to erecting or upgrading poles where appropriate.

Core Utilities Ltd and its partners recognise that this activity can cause short-term disruption, and are committed to working closely with residents, landowners and local authorities to manage this carefully.

Typical measures include:

• Clear signage and advance notification of works
• Coordinated planning with local highways teams to reduce traffic impact
• Rapid reinstatement of roads, pavements and verges
• Adhering to strict safety and environmental standards
• Providing channels for residents and businesses to raise queries or concerns

By taking a community-focused approach, the project aims to ensure that the long-term benefits of full fibre are delivered with as little inconvenience as possible in the short term.

A long-term investment in the region’s future

The fast fibre rollout across rural Derbyshire and Staffordshire is more than a short-term upgrade – it is a long-term investment in the digital infrastructure on which future generations will rely.

Once in place, full fibre networks are designed to last for decades. They can be upgraded at the ends – in the equipment that lights the fibre – without needing to replace the underlying cables. That makes them a highly future-proof solution, capable of supporting ever-increasing data demands, new digital services and innovations we have yet to imagine.

For Core Utilities Ltd, being part of this journey is a source of pride and purpose.

As the spokesperson added:

“Rural areas have waited a long time for this level of connectivity. Knowing that the work our teams do today will help families, schools, farms and small businesses for many years to come is incredibly rewarding. We’re committed to delivering high-quality infrastructure that will serve Derbyshire and Staffordshire well into the future.”

What happens next?

Over the coming months and years, residents and businesses in rural parts of Derbyshire and Staffordshire can expect to see more visible signs of activity as surveys, planning and build work progress.

The typical journey for a community will include:

1. Planning and design – mapping out routes, confirming the scope and obtaining necessary permissions.
2. Build phase – installing ducts, poles, chambers and fibre, with works carefully scheduled and communicated.
3. Network testing and activation – ensuring the network is ready for service.
4. Service availability – residents and businesses are able to order full fibre packages from participating internet service providers.

Timelines will vary by area, but the overall goal under Project Gigabit is to bring full fibre to the targeted rural properties from 2025 onwards.

A connected future for Derbyshire and Staffordshire

As the fast fibre rollout gathers pace, rural communities across Derbyshire and Staffordshire stand on the brink of a major digital step forward. With government support through Project Gigabit, delivery by operators such as Connect Fibre and Openreach, local backing from initiatives like Digital Derbyshire, and on-the-ground infrastructure from Core Connect Utilities Ltd, the pieces are coming together for a more connected future.

For the residents of villages like Eckington, Hulland Ward and Shirley, this is about more than technology. It is about opportunity, fairness and the ability to live and work in rural areas without sacrificing digital access.

The coming years will see roads dug, cables laid and new networks built – but the legacy will be measured in stronger communities, thriving local economies and a region ready to embrace the possibilities of the digital age.

If you are a local authority, network operator, landowner or community group interested in partnering on rural fibre projects in Derbyshire or Staffordshire, Core Connect Utilities Ltd would like to hear from you.

Contact Core Connect Utilities Ltd:

• Website: www.coreconnectutilities.co.uk
• Email: info@coreconnectutilities.co.uk
• Phone: 01773 301372

Call to action:
Get in touch with our team to discuss upcoming projects, wayleaves, or infrastructure delivery in your area. Together, we can accelerate the rollout of fast, reliable full fibre and ensure that every community – no matter how rural – has the connectivity it needs to thrive.