Government announces new contracts to install gigabit level fibre coverage for 131,000 households and businesses

The last corners of England and Wales yet to be covered by a £5bn push to widen fast broadband could finally get access to rapid downloads, streaming and video calls after the government announced £289m in new taxpayer-funded contracts enabling coverage.

After some people in broadband blackspots were forced to turn to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite-enabled internet connections, the latest deals to boost connectivity should give 131,000 households and businesses in village and rural internet deserts gigabit-level fibre coverage – allowing a high-definition movie to be downloaded in around a minute.