BOLSTERSTONE CONNECTED TO GIGABIT BROADBAND FOLLOWING REGIONAL SUPPORT

Published 27 May 2026 at 10:16am

Residents in the village of Bolsterstone are now benefitting from gigabit‑capable, Full Fibre broadband, after support from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and local authorities, delivered in partnership through the South Yorkshire Digital Infrastructure Team (SYDIT), helped unlock a solution to years of slow, unreliable connectivity.

For decades, Bolsterstone struggled with broadband speeds averaging just 14.8 megabits per second, barely above the national minimum standard. Despite being close to Stocksbridge, the village’s location in a deep valley surrounded by ancient woodland and the Broomhead Reservoir, meant many homes were reliant on ageing copper phone lines or patchy mobile signals. Challenging geography made commercial investment difficult, leaving residents with frequent outages, particularly during bad weather.  

After concerns were raised locally, partners worked with the Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to bring forward a community-led solution. Delivered by Building Digital UK as part of Project Gigabit, the scheme supports homes and businesses in hard to reach areas by providing vouchers worth up to £4,500 to help cover the cost of new full fibre infrastructure.

Working with Openreach, the partnership has enabled around 95 properties in Bolsterstone to access gigabit‑capable, Full Fibre broadband for the first time, transforming connectivity for residents, home workers and local businesses. Delivery teams, including those working through SYDIT, helped identify existing infrastructure to design a more efficient and cost effective build, while strong local engagement secured enough sign-ups for work to proceed. 

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said:

“For too long, communities like Bolsterstone have been left behind when it comes to digital connectivity. That’s not good enough.

“Working with local councils and partners, we’ve helped unlock gigabit broadband for around 80 homes and businesses that would otherwise have missed out.

“Better connectivity means better opportunities – whether that’s working from home, running a business, or staying connected to family and services. It’s part of building a stronger, fairer South Yorkshire where no community is left behind.”

Kasam Hussain, Openreach Partnership Director for the North and Midlands, said:

“We were pleased to support this community‑led scheme from the start. By building on existing infrastructure and working closely with partners and residents, we were able to help bring Full Fibre connectivity to an area that had faced real geographic challenges. Properties in Bolsterstone are now among the 540,000 South Yorkshire homes and businesses with access to Full Fibre through Openreach.

"The project demonstrated how targeted government support, strong partnership working and community action can overcome geographical challenges and ensure rural communities are not left behind in the digital age."