The visit highlighted the impact of Project Gigabit, the Government’s programme to bring gigabit-capable broadband to hard-to-reach communities that are unlikely to be reached through commercial investment alone.
During his visit, the Minister met apprentices and engineers, toured Quickline’s training facilities and learned how Government investment is supporting the company’s growth while helping connect rural homes and businesses to ultrafast full fibre broadband.
Project Gigabit has played a significant role in enabling deployment in areas beyond existing commercial plans, helping make broadband rollout viable in some of the region’s most challenging locations. The investment has also supported wider commercial network expansion, allowing Quickline to extend access to reliable, high-speed broadband across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
As Quickline continues to expand its network, the business has also grown its workforce, creating skilled roles across engineering, network delivery, operations and customer support, alongside apprenticeship opportunities that are helping develop the next generation of telecoms professionals.
Earlier this year, Quickline reached a major milestone, with 250,000 homes and businesses now able to access its network across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Telecoms Minister Ian Murray said: “Behind every new broadband connection are engineers, apprentices and local teams learning the skills to give communities the fast, reliable connections they need for modern life. Through Project Gigabit, we are creating opportunities while delivering the digital infrastructure that rural homes and businesses need, helping ensure growth and connectivity reach communities across the country.”
During the visit, the Minister met members of Quickline’s apprenticeship programme, including apprentices developing specialist skills needed to support the rollout of full fibre broadband across rural communities.
Ryan Lupton, Splicer Cabler Apprentice at Quickline, said: “My previous occupation was a customer assistant for Tesco, which mainly involved working on self-service. I’m excited to be working for Quickline and look forward to hopefully having a career with them. I’m enjoying the physical nature of the job. I am one who doesn’t like to be sat around all day and working with the lads always makes the job fun.” ”
Mark Bowden, CEO at Quickline, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Minister to Quickline and give him the opportunity to see first-hand the positive impact Project Gigabit is having across our region. Government investment is helping us reach communities that would otherwise miss out on fast, reliable broadband, while also supporting wider commercial rollout across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Just as importantly, it is creating jobs, apprenticeships and long-term career opportunities. As our network grows, so does our workforce, allowing us to invest in local talent and develop the skills needed to deliver connectivity for the future. We’re proud to be playing a major role in transforming digital infrastructure across rural communities and ensuring the benefits are felt not just through better broadband, but through economic growth and opportunity too.”
Quickline continues to roll out its full fibre network across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, helping more rural communities access the reliable connectivity needed for work, education, healthcare and everyday life.
