Dozens of rural households and businesses will benefit from ultrafast broadband later this year.

Raby Estates has invested in improving connectivity in Upper Teesdale through the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.   

All residents and businesses across the dale have been offered the ultrafast broadband as part of the Government’s current voucher scheme and sign up has been high as the need for high-speed connectivity increases.

Lord Barnard, who has been driving the initiative along with Raby Estates’ CEO Duncan Peake, said: “Ultrafast high connectivity is essential for our tenants and businesses across Upper Teesdale and has become even more needed now as more people are working from home, post-Covid.

“This is the culmination of five year’s hard work by Raby and will be transformational for the Upper Teesdale community. We are absolutely delighted that our chosen provider Alncom will be rolling out the programme from July onwards.

“The project will provide 1Gb capable connectivity to the whole of Upper Teesdale including Strathmore Estate and will cover an area west of Middleton in Teesdale up to Harwood and will hopefully act as a bridge head for roll out elsewhere in neighbouring dales in the North Pennines.”

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John and Jemma Clark moved into a property in Upper Teesdale in June this year and praised the impact better connectivity has on their everyday lives.

They said: “We run the farm and also have a farrier business so connectivity is hugely important to us. Not only in being able to keep on top of vital information we need online but also keeping in touch with our customers.

“At the moment holding a connection online is impossible so this new super connectivity can’t come soon enough for us. We also have three young boys so for them it will be enormously beneficial.

“Not only will they be able to connect to the internet for learning portals and school work but they will also be able to connect with their friends online and play their Xbox, which at the moment is impossible for them.”

Work on the new broadband started in July and is due to be completed later this year.

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