£21m broadband network covers two thirds of North Tyneside but why are thousands still missing out?

The company has spent more than £21 million locally so far to build a new ultrafast, ultra-reliable Full Fibre network in and around Benton, Killingworth, North Shields, Wallsend and Whitley Bay, with Dudley and Wideopen set to follow.

This once-in-a-generation upgrade is transforming daily life - helping local companies thrive online and equipping the community with the tools needed for the digital future. But thousands of residents have yet to upgrade, with only around one in three adopting the service where it’s available, lagging behind the UK average of 35 per cent.

Robert Thorburn, Openreach Partnership Manager for North East, said: “This is a fantastic milestone to reach but there’s more to do.

“Our investment across North Tyneside continues with Dudley and Wideopen already announced for future build. We’re also keen to make sure we can upgrade the thousands of homes across the area at risk missing out on the benefits of full fibre broadband due to outstanding “wayleaves” that are blocking work in many apartment buildings and flats.

“We’re determined to deliver a great service which helps communities to thrive and supports people to work from home easily, keep in touch with their loved ones and build connections and opportunities.

“Switching is easy and may even be cheaper than your existing broadband package but it’s important to remember that upgrades don’t happen automatically. People need to contact, and place orders through, their broadband service provider to take advantage.”

The Openreach network offers the UK’s biggest choice of broadband providers such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Zen – which means people have lots of choice and can get a great deal.

Even people with decent enough broadband speeds should check if they can upgrade, because full fibre provides the best broadband experience at great value for money. Residents can enjoy a host of online services and entertainment such as seamless streaming, and smooth online gaming experiences.

While businesses can operate with certainty that their broadband will support all their day-to-day, business critical tasks such as video calls, banking and customer interaction via social media platforms.

Openreach has announced plans to invest in Full Fibre broadband for the majority of premises in North Tyneside. It’s part of the company’s plans to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses by the end of 2026.