07/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/09/2025 04:30
Residents are benefitting from faster broadband after Oxfordshire County Council completed its GigaHubs project at 192 public service and local authority sites.
The work significantly enhances digital connectivity across the county's rural and public service sites, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to improve connectivity through its digital infrastructure programme.
The GigaHubs project in Oxfordshire - jointly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the council - has introduced gigabit capable broadband at schools, GP practices, fire stations, libraries, leisure centres, community centres, and museums, including in rural areas where fibre infrastructure is difficult and expensive to provide.
Funding from the council was sourced from income generated by its digital infrastructure programme.
Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "The GigaHubs project has transformed the digital landscape of Oxfordshire, enabling libraries, community centres, schools and GP practices to offer enhanced services to residents.
"The successful collaboration with Neos Networks and other industry leaders has ensured that even the most remote areas now have access to reliable, high speed internet. This initiative supports our broader goals of reducing carbon emissions, promoting digital inclusion, and fostering community engagement."
The project was managed by Neos Networks with subcontractors Openreach, Virgin Media Business, and Gigaclear.
Improved connectivity enables public service sites to offer enhanced services, support remote working, and provide high-speed internet access to local communities. By developing a highly competitive supply chain and using the best technology for each site, Neos has enabled faster provisioning of public services at significantly reduced costs.
Significant benefits have already been seen where the new infrastructure is operational. Village halls and community centres are live streaming events, meetings, clubs and classes.
In addition to providing new full fibre broadband, the digital infrastructure programme has funded three years of internet access for the 55 community centres and village halls connected through the project.
The council now has ambitions to equip the community and village halls to become community hubs offering enhanced community services, health and social care support, reducing the need for people to travel further afield to access vital public services.
The new infrastructure will also incentivise more investment from the commercial sector in rural areas now that the targeted hubs provide a way to connect homes and businesses nearby.
The project has allowed the migration from expensive leased line services to direct fibre internet services for council buildings. This has improved connectivity performance while achieving a saving of £70,000 per annum on connectivity costs for Oxfordshire County Council.
As part of the agreement with Neos, the council also secured a £20,000 social value contribution used to purchase 30 public computers, which have been installed in libraries at Oxford Westgate, Cowley, and Abingdon.
David Bruce, Chief Revenue Officer at Neos Networks, said: "The collaboration has allowed us to use our expertise and relationships to deliver real public good and support the council's vision for a smarter, more connected Oxfordshire. This project should serve as a blueprint for other local authorities seeking to bridge the digital divide support community development."
More information about the GigaHubs project and other digital infrastructure initiatives in Oxfordshire is available online.
About Neos Networks
Neos Networkshas the UK's largest business-dedicated network. With over 600 points of presence and 90 data centres nationwide, Neos provides high capacity critical connectivity for businesses, from telecoms and energy to banking and emergency services. Agile and customer-focused with almost limitless scale, Neos enables emerging technologies like AI, 5G and IoT, making connectivity work for Britain.
About GigaHubs
GigaHubs are part of Project Gigabit, the UK government's £5 billion national mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband for everyone in the UK. This initiative, which began in 2021, is part of a broader strategy to enhance digital and social inclusion.
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