Policy Hub

Voiceover:

Our society is changing the way we learn, connect and access services. And embracing this change is Gemma Crompton. She runs a centre providing skills to young adults with additional needs.

Gemma Crompton, Director, The Hamlet:

The Hamlet is made up of lots of different vocational areas. So we've got a cafe, we've got a print shop, we've got three retail outlets. I just felt that there was a gap for our young people to be in the public eye and showcasing their abilities and gaining confidence. At the very beginning, when we took over the building, the internet line at the time was a copper line and it just kept going off. Trying to run a provision with no internet, it was hard.

Voiceover:

Openreach installed full fibre at the Hamlet and is connecting millions of people like Gemma to the ultrafast broadband network.

Gemma Crompton, Director, The Hamlet:

With the full fibre that's been installed. It's meant that our young people can learn skills. For instance, in the cafe we can now take card payments using the iPad, using the touch payment method. So what the full fibre is provided are individual young people and is absolutely phenomenal, the independence.

Voiceover:

Full fibre broadband isn’t just improving lives at the Hamlet, it’s improving our public services. Dr Murray Ellender is a GP who founded an online consultation platform to improve patient access to care.

Dr Murray Ellender, CEO, eConsult:

The rollout of full fibre across the UK really enables every single patient, wherever they are, to access their GP online. We have to offer patients a choice of access to see their GP. That's really important to drive a more efficient NHS, because the old model of every patient going into a physical building to be seen is really inefficient.

Voiceover:

 Whether it’s helping young people build skills, or patients to access their GPs - Openreach is delivering the next generation of broadband across the country.

Interviewee 1:

It's important for us because obviously the children need fast internet because they'll be doing their homework.

Interviewee 2:

Most of what I do in terms of buying things, ordering tickets for the train station, transport, I do over the internet.

Interviewee 3:

Having fast internet means I'm not waiting around for downloads and all the rest of it.

Voiceover:

Everyone needs access to fast, reliable broadband. That's why Openreach is making ultrafast broadband available right across the country.

Interviewee 4:

So if you want to work from home, it's ideal to have fast broadband, innit.

Interviewee 5:

It just gives you more flexibility.

Interviewee 6:

I have to use it to book a GP appointment, send photographs. It's part of the way we live our lives these days.

Voiceover:

Openreach engineers are in every corner of the UK from John O'Groats to Land's End. We're connecting communities and helping businesses thrive. Like Westerlands farm in the South Downs.

Antonia Jamison, Westerlands, South Downs National Park:

These rural farms are very difficult to make work. An essential component to the model is being able to have a secondary revenue stream, and that revenue stream for many farms is hospitality. The guests coming have to have connectivity, they are seeking it and full fibre broadband is essential.

Voiceover:

We're delivering the UK's ultrafast future today.

Steve King, Senior Network Manager, Openreach

It's tremendous to see the opportunities it gives people. And for me personally, it's an absolute privilege.

Voiceover:

Britain is a nation of small businesses, of start-ups and entrepreneurs. They are the bedrock of the UK economy. Claire Fletcher is one of these entrepreneurs. She set up laser gin with her neighbours on the Isle of Jura.

Claire Fletcher, Partner, Lussa Drinks Company:

We got together in 2015. Opportunities for work for women on an island with a population of 250 people are really limited. We started in my kitchen with a tiny ten litre still. This is a 200 litre still and then eventually have grown and scaled the business. We've had a couple of challenges over the last few years. It looked like the business might not survive, so to have something that pays the bills that we have control of is, I can't tell you how valuable it is and broadband makes all that possible.

Voiceover:

Businesses like Claire's rely on access to fast internet to grow and to thrive. That's why Openreach is upgrading the UK to ultrafast, reliable full fibre broadband.

Claire Fletcher, Partner, Lussa Drinks Company:

It's been absolutely transformative for us as a small business in a really remote island location. We can't rely on our supply chain, but we can rely on now with Full Fibre, our visitors to the door because we can communicate directly with them. Website sales. Our export supply chain is now worth about 20% of our business. There's definitely been an upturn in our ability to sell as a result of Full Fibre.

Voiceover:

We use broadband in almost every part of our lives and it's transforming our economy.

Robert Beauchamp, Development Economics Associate, Stantec:

It's vital that Britain rolls out Full Fibre to underpin growth, particularly as the British and global economy are only going to become more digitalised and more reliant on good connectivity, particularly in industries like advanced manufacturing or tech. They are going to rely more and more on AI.

Voiceover:

 Openreach is committed to delivering the UK's ultrafast broadband future.

Claire Fletcher, Partner, Lussa Drinks Company:

It's allowed us to to continue to grow and to continue to be here to employ people locally. And yeah, we're a significant employer now for the island.