Project Stratum, the NI Executive's £165m broadband improvement scheme, has connected its first customers to Next Generation Access broadband through Fibrus Networks in Coalisland, Co Tyrone.
The first OLT (Optical Line Termination) in Coalisland is now live and once completed, Project Stratum is expected to extend gigabit capable full fibre broadband infrastructure to around 76,000 homes and businesses across Northern Ireland.
The contract for the scheme was awarded to Fibrus Networks in November.
Commenting after speaking to Tara Hamill, one of the first beneficiaries of Project Stratum, Economy Minister Diane Dodds said: “In today’s world we are especially reliant on our broadband services and good connectivity.
"More and more of our work and leisure time is spent online and if you don’t have access to good broadband this can be a real issue. Speaking to Tara Hamill has underscored the difference Project Stratum can make to peoples lives and how it is bringing tangible benefits to householders.
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“I know there are many communities, especially in rural areas, which have been waiting a long time for improvements in their broadband speeds.
"These first connections demonstrate Fibrus Networks have the capability and capacity to deliver full fibre solutions, with speeds of up to one gigabit per second, to many rural premises transforming the broadband connectivity landscape for individuals and businesses across Northern Ireland.”
The UK government has invested £150m in Project Stratum to "roll out top-of-the-range speeds not just to towns and cities but to rural communities across Northern Ireland," said UK Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman.
Source: Written from press release
