County Durham Village, Witton-le-Wear, joins the full fibre fast lane as GoFibre expands Durham network

Scottish independent broadband provider GoFibre is connecting more rural villages with the start of its ultra-fast, full fibre broadband rollout in Witton-le-Wear, County Durham. This marks a significant step forward in delivering high-speed connectivity to rural and hard-to-reach communities as part of GoFibre’s Project Gigabit contract in Durham-Teesdale.

Awarded in autumn 2022, GoFibre secured two multi-million-pound contracts under the UK Government’s Project Gigabit - one for Teesdale and another for North Northumberland. Since commencing the build, over 4,000 funded premises are now ready for connection in the Durham-Teesdale area. In Witton-Le-Wear specifically, around 150 homes and businesses are now able to access lightning-fast broadband with the future of connectivity at their doorsteps.

Another 118 premises will be connected in Witton-Le-Wear, with build due to be completed in August.

To celebrate the network completion in Witton-le-Wear, GoFibre is inviting residents and business owners to a community drop-in session at The Victoria Inn on Tuesday, 12th August 2025.

From 6:00pm to 7:30pm, visitors can meet the GoFibre team, enjoy some mint green GoFibre merchandise, and learn more about how full fibre broadband can transform their online experience. Attendees who register their interest with GoFibre on the day will also be entered into a prize draw to win two years of free broadband.

Despite a challenging crossing of the Witton Bridge which required the use of civil engineering avoidance techniques to avoid impacting the Grade 2 listed structure, the build has run to schedule so far, guided by GoFibre’s commitment to minimising disruption for local people and services. The full build is due to complete in August.

Andy Hepburn, Chief Operating Officer at GoFibre, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to the local community for their support and patience throughout the build. Their cooperation allowed us to complete the project with minimal disruption, particularly when working around the historic Witton Bridge.

“We know firsthand how frustrating poor internet can be, so it’s incredibly rewarding to deliver a service that’s fast, reliable, and built to last. This is a proud moment for our team and for the community. We hope you can join us at our event on the 12th to celebrate and learn how full fibre broadband can transform your online experience.”

Cllr Stephen Gray, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for digital and customer services, said: “This is fantastic news for residents in Witton-le-Wear who will now be more connected than ever. We know fast and reliable internet is vital for communities in County Durham, and this is a great step towards delivering a modern service that rural areas can rely on.

“The local community has shown cooperation and patience while this project was completed, and we encourage residents to take part in the drop-in session on Tuesday 12 August.”

With the network now in place, homes and businesses in Witton-le-Wear – including those along Clemmy Bank – can now enjoy the numerous benefits of full-fibre broadband. They can stream, game, work, and download at full speed, without the buffering or bandwidth battles.

The GoFibre community event will be held at The Victoria Inn, School St, Witton-le-Wear, Bishop Auckland DL14 0AS.

Residents and businesses in Witton-le-Wear and the surrounding areas can check the availability of GoFibre’s services by visiting www.gofibre.co.uk/check-availability.