146,000 Homes on Full Fibre — and Viberoptix Just Picked Up the Award for It Viberoptix Named Infrastructure Builder of the Year for Cumbria Fibre Rollout

Viberoptix have been named Infrastructure Builder of the Year for getting full fibre to more than 146,000 Cumbrian homes and businesses. They picked it up in London. A lot of it was up narrow lanes and through the Lakes.

If the fibre gang have been up your lane, or you're still staring at a copper box wondering when the decent broadband's coming, this is you.

Viberoptix — they're part of Fibrus — have been named Infrastructure Builder of the Year for getting full fibre into rural Cumbria. More than 146,000 homes and businesses since they came over from Northern Ireland in 2021.

They picked it up at Connected Britain, down at the ExCeL in London. Judges were looking at the Government's £150 million Project Gigabit job, awarded in November 2022. More than 37,000 premises on that programme.

Shane Haslem, who runs Viberoptix and is COO of Fibrus, said: "This award is well-deserved recognition for the entire team, both on the ground and behind the scenes, whose hard work and commitment continues to make project delivery a success."

"We've proven in Northern Ireland that we can deliver large-scale full fibre infrastructure projects, and now we're demonstrating the same in Cumbria."

A lot of it's been in the Lake District, which is a World Heritage Site, so they've had to go carefully. Earlier this year they cabled the Coppermines Lakes Cottages at Coniston Copper Mines — conservation area, SSSI, bats, reptiles, the lot. They put a track trencher in and cut a skinny trench, same trick they use under the narrow roads so the traffic isn't sat there all day. Then they put it back with asphalt that's 65 per cent sustainable.

Haslem said: "Delivering a programme of this scale on time and on budget is no easy feat, particularly in a county with challenging terrain and protected landscapes."

Whitehaven News has the original.

Fun Fact: 65 per cent sustainable asphalt on the patch. Even the tarmac's making an effort.

Viberoptix, part of the Fibrus Group, has been named Infrastructure Builder of the Year for connecting more than 146,000 homes and businesses across Cumbria to full fibre. The award was given at Connected Britain in London.

This is for anyone in rural Cumbria who has had the fibre gang up the lane, or who is still waiting.

Viberoptix, part of the Fibrus Group, has been named Infrastructure Builder of the Year for delivering full fibre broadband to rural Cumbrian communities. The company has connected more than 146,000 homes and businesses across Cumbria since Fibrus expanded into the region from Northern Ireland in 2021.

The title was given at the Connected Britain Awards, at the ExCeL in London. Judges pointed to its role in the UK Government's £150 million Project Gigabit scheme, which was awarded in November 2022. More than 37,000 premises have been connected under that programme.

Shane Haslem, managing director of Viberoptix and chief operating officer of Fibrus Group, said: "This award is well-deserved recognition for the entire team, both on the ground and behind the scenes, whose hard work and commitment continues to make project delivery a success."

"We've proven in Northern Ireland that we can deliver large-scale full fibre infrastructure projects, and now we're demonstrating the same in Cumbria."

Much of the work has taken place in the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The company has tried to keep the environmental impact down. Earlier this year it provided cabling to the Coppermines Lakes Cottages at the Coniston Copper Mines site in the southern Lakes — a conservation area and Site of Special Scientific Interest, with volcanic geology, lichens, bats and reptiles.

Engineers used a track trencher to cut a narrow trench for the ducting. Viberoptix uses the same method under narrow rural roads to limit traffic disruption. The trench is then reinstated with an asphalt material that is 65 per cent sustainable.

Mr Haslem said: "Delivering a programme of this scale on time and on budget is no easy feat, particularly in a county with challenging terrain and protected landscapes."

The original report is in the Whitehaven News.

Fun Fact: they put the road back with asphalt that is 65 per cent sustainable — even the patch is trying to behave itself.