Hyperoptic has revealed that more than 160,000 social housing properties are due to be connected up to its 1Gbps full fibre network, including those managed by A2Dominion, the Hyde Group, Catalyst, Genesis Housing Association and Notting Hill Housing Trust.
Hyperoptic also said that it's working with 50 councils across the UK to extend this network to their social housing properties too.
"We recognise the vital role that fast and reliable broadband services can play in getting a tenant online," Steven Waite, director of technical and commercial at A2Dominion said. "However in the past, we've had very little control over what broadband and telephone services our residents could opt for.
"It was a broadband postcode lottery depending on the available existing broadband infrastructure at each site. Thanks to our collaboration with Hyperoptic, thousands of properties across our portfolio are now enabled with its gigabit connectivity and its growing all the time."
Hyperoptic explained that the social housing sector is an important part of its strategy to roll out gigabit internet further, because those living in managed properties need to gain digital skills in order to improve their lives. A report by the Good Things Foundation revealed that 37% of people that are digitally excluded are social housing tenants, it explained.
"For too long digital inclusion' has been a buzzword that broadband providers have bandied around to secure grants and funding. It's not the case for us," Floyd Widener, chief sales officer at Hyperoptic said. "Working successfully with social landlords is a strategic priority for our business - which is why we are squarely focused on getting residents successfully connected.
"The provision of our full fibre service is just one part of this equation - we also offer digital skills training and flexible products, such as rolling contracts and a low-price broadband-only service."
