NI Broadband – Project Stratum – Superfast Review

Public Review for additional eligible premises

Project Stratum is a broadband intervention scheme managed by the Department for the Economy (DfE), developed to improve connectivity for premises unable to access broadband services of at least 30 Megabits per second. When Project Stratum deployment concludes in early 2025, it is expected that previously identified eligible premises will be able to access Next Generation Access (NGA) broadband (capable of delivering download speeds of at least 30 Mbps), except for some particularly difficult to reach premises which are surrounded by bodies of water.

A number of premises were not identified as eligible due to claims made by infrastructure providers about NGA coverage that has either changed or which have not been substantiated sufficiently. Further premises were not identified as eligible due to there being insufficient data held by DfE regarding them.

DfE now wishes to identify eligible premises to ensure that any cost savings that may arise through Project Stratum, such as removing derelict premises or from other sources, can be used to connect eligible premises that will benefit from an NGA broadband connection.

Further funding will be required to include additional premises in the intervention. If DfE is able to secure additional funding, it may not be able to secure it for all identified eligible premises.

How can you help?

DfE is requesting information and supporting evidence in relation to NGA broadband infrastructure within the project area, and wishes to hear from all relevant stakeholders (including residents, businesses and broadband infrastructure operators), particularly in relation to areas to be targeted as part of the NGA intervention area.

For the avoidance of doubt, there is no need to respond to this public consultation if you have no comment to make.

Please follow the link below to the DfE website where you can view lists of postcodes that have been provided. We invite residents and businesses to review these postcodes and respond as per the advice on how to respond.

More details on this can be found here: https://consultations.nidirect.gov.uk/dfe/discrete-superfast-reconsultation.

This consultation will be open until 15:00 on 15 August 2022.

If you have any questions, please contact the Department for the Economy by email, at stratum@economy-ni.gov.uk.