More than 4,000 homes in North Kirklees connected to gigabit broadband network

Kirklees Council has worked with Virgin Media O2 to connect 4,200 homes in Howden Clough and Birstall to its gigabit broadband network as part of the council’s commitment to ensuring Kirklees has the highest standards of connection and digital infrastructure.

The new connection speed for the area is 20 times faster than the local average, with top speeds of 1,130Mbps. This ultrafast speed supports the modern busy household, where internet may be used for remote working, streaming film and TV, video calls and online gaming.

Kirklees Council is currently working with a number of partners to bring these connectivity benefits to more areas across the district, making it a better place to live and work.

Councillor Graham Turner, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “We’re passionate about bringing better connectivity across Kirklees, whether you live in a town centre or somewhere completely rural.

“The modern-day household requires so much of the internet, especially now that more and more people are working from home.

"High speed internet connectivity also allows residents to stay connected with family and friends no matter where they are in the world, helping to prevent social isolation and loneliness.

“We need to cater to our residents’ growing and changing connectivity needs, and make sure Kirklees is a fantastic place to live and work.

“This latest project has brought reliable, superfast connectivity to thousands more households, and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved through our partnership working approach with Virgin Media O2.”

Rob Evans, Virgin Media O2's managing director of fixed network expansion, said: “We’re continuing to deliver at pace in 2022, with our latest build in Kirklees bringing our gigabit broadband network to thousands more homes across the county.

“With our next generation services and ultrafast speeds to match, we’re helping increase consumer choice for Howden Clough and Birstall residents at a time when it’s never mattered more.”