Romsey and Southampton North residents face dashed broadband hopes after the Hampshire Project Gigabit, once hailed as a transformative £150 million initiative, was quietly scaled back to cover just 29,000 premises—down from the original 75,500 target. CityFibre, the contractor awarded the contract in 2023, confirmed the reduction, blaming rising costs and logistical hurdles in hard-to-reach rural areas.
Caroline Nokes, the Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North, called the move a betrayal of constituents who have endured years of unreliable connections. "Three years after the contract was signed, families and businesses are being told their upgrade is no longer on the table," she said. "This isn’t just disappointment—it’s a failure to deliver on a commitment made in good faith."
Key Points
- ⚡ Hampshire’s Project Gigabit rollout cut from 75,500 to 29,000 premises
- 💸 Contractor CityFibre cites rising costs and rural access challenges
- 📡 MP Caroline Nokes demands urgent clarity on which areas remain excluded
The revised plan still guarantees gigabit speeds to 29,000 homes and businesses, but excludes entire villages and outlying estates. In Ampfield, where residents have lobbied for upgrades since 2021, local councillor Margaret Joyce described the news as "another kick in the teeth" for those already struggling with slow, patchy connections.
📋 By The Numbers
- 2023 — Year Hampshire Project Gigabit contract awarded to CityFibre
- £150 million — Initial estimated cost of the full rollout
- 2026 — Year by which gigabit speeds were promised to all included premises
Nokes has escalated her concerns to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, demanding a full breakdown of which premises are still in scope—and which have been abandoned. Her letter to the minister highlights properties barely hundreds of metres from existing full-fibre networks, now left in digital limbo with no clear upgrade path.
💡 Pro Tip
Check your postcode on the government’s broadband availability checker—even if your home is in a red-flagged area, commercial providers may still offer partial solutions.
Building Digital UK, the government body overseeing the rollout, insists alternative solutions are being explored, including potential voucher schemes and public-private partnerships. But critics warn these could take years to materialise, leaving rural communities stranded without reliable internet.
| Area Status | Original Plan | Revised Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Romsey Urban | Full coverage | Full coverage |
| Ampfield | Full coverage | Excluded |
| North Baddesley | Full coverage | Partial coverage |
| Braishfield | Full coverage | Excluded |
Nokes has vowed to continue pressing for answers, warning that without intervention, the digital divide in Hampshire will deepen. "Gigabit broadband isn’t a luxury—it’s the backbone of modern life," she said. "Families working from home, children doing homework, elderly residents accessing healthcare—all of them are being failed by this broken promise."
- 📊 Over 46,000 premises in Hampshire have now been dropped from the original upgrade plan
- 🔍 Commercial operators have shown little interest in stepping into the gaps left by Project Gigabit
- ⚠️ Without government intervention, rural broadband speeds could remain below 10Mbps for another decade
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has not yet responded to Nokes’ latest letter, but insiders suggest a formal response may come within weeks. Meanwhile, affected residents are left with one question: when will the government’s next broadband promise be broken?