Broadband upgrade for thousands of Wolverhampton council tenants

Openreach is joining forces with Wolverhampton Homes to make full fibre broadband available to more than 4,500 flats and apartments across the city.

The upgrade is already improving internet speeds and reliability for thousands of residents in Aldersley, Bilston, Central Wolverhampton, Wednesfield, Tettenhall and Woodcross.

Around 1,000 homes across 89 different buildings have been upgraded so far, which means people living there can access full fibre, the UK’s most reliable broadband technology.

Work continues and plans are in place to connect 3,500 more premises, across a further 135 buildings in Wolverhampton.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Wolverhampton Homes on this significant broadband upgrade,” said Kasam Hussain, regional director at Openreach.

“Working together is a crucial step in making sure that residents across the city have access to some of the best broadband available anywhere in the UK. The support from both the council and Wolverhampton Homes has been instrumental in making this happen.

“Our partners from both Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Homes joined engineers recently to see some of the first properties being connected. We were able to talk them through our build and the benefits it is bringing to local people.

“The upgrades are not automatic, but once full fibre is available, tenants should contact their broadband provider, place an order to get connected and we’ll do the rest.”

As part of the council’s proactive approach to supporting the rollout of future proofed digital infrastructure, an agreement was signed in October 2022 to give Openreach permission to carry out the work in all Wolverhampton Homes properties.

This enabled engineers to work quickly to reach hundreds of premises in just a few months.

Wolverhampton Homes is the council’s arm's length management organisation that is responsible for managing the majority of council-owned homes across the city.

Councillor Obaida Ahmed, the council's cabinet member for digital and community, said: “We know that fast and reliable broadband is important to modern life and is essential to ensuring all residents are digitally included, so this boost for more homes in the city is great news.

“As a digitally driven council we work closely with Openreach and other providers to improve connectivity across the city and we look forward to full fibre coverage being rolled out further in the future.”

Ian Gardner, director of property services at Wolverhampton Homes, said: “Partnering with Openreach is a tremendous opportunity for our residents. Improved broadband access is essential for modern living, whether it’s for work, education, or entertainment.

"This initiative demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for people in our community.”