Ultra fast fibre
Many residents write to me with problems associated with poor broadband speeds. This can range from the inability of people to work from home to Post Office outreach services not being able to function efficiently due to the unreliability of the connection.
Commercial broadband providers (e.g. Sky) are in the process of rolling out gigabit-capable broadband (also known as Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or ultrafast broadband) across East Hampshire. The market continues to make good progress but public funding is required to support the rollout to parts of the country that are not commercially viable. These tend to be in the more rural parts of the country where housing density is low. The previous government set up Project Gigabit, which committed £5bn to ensure that all areas of the UK can access a full fibre connection.
The aim was for all properties to be have access to ultra fast broadband by 2030.
Back in 2023, an Open Market Review was conducted by Building Digital UK (a UK government agency) to determine which premises in Hampshire were likely to be reached by the market and which ones were unlikely to be 'commercially viable' (mostly rural properties). After a competitive tender, it was announced that CityFibre had been awarded the contract to supply 75,000 hard to reach homes across Hampshire with ultra fast broadband. The first live connections were expected in July 2024. These properties are in the south of the constituency. CityFibre expects to finish these connections by the beginning of 2027.
In May 2026, CityFibre and BDUK announced that the scope of the Hampshire contract was being scaled back to 29,000 properties - see (Project Gigabit network build contract - Hampshire - GOV.UK).
For those properties that have been 'descoped' the government expects many to be incorporated into commercial builds. Properties not falling within these contracts will be (eventually) picked up by BDUK who may need to find an alternative solution to a fibre optic cable to the property if the cost is prohibitive. This could be a satellite solution or wireless.
Mobile phone signal in East Hampshire
I'm aware that the mobile phone signal in parts of East Hampshire can also be patchy. While many of the mobile phone operators claim that they are rolling up upgrades to their masts and introducting 5G connectivity across the UK, it appears that there are areas, even within towns such as Petersfield, where the phone signal can be unreliable. To check the best signal for your area, visit Ofcom's signal checker: Map Your Mobile. Although, please note that the prediction of signal on this site can sometimes be different to the 'lived' experience.
If you experience repeated problems with your mobile signal and/or are struggling to access a decent broadband connection, please do email me.
