Hyper-fast broadband: 'No queue-jumpers' for connection in NI

The aim of Project Stratum is to improve rural internet connectivity

No areas will be allowed to jump the queue to connect to Northern Ireland's "hyper-fast" broadband network, the company behind the rollout has said.

Executives from Fibrus told a Stormont Committee on Thursday that their only priority was efficiency.

The £165m Project Stratum is majority-funded by government money agreed in the confidence-and-supply deal made by the DUP and Conservative Party in 2017.

Fibrus connected the first customers in Coalisland, County Tyrone last month.

The company's chair Conal Henry told the Economy Committee that the firm would not be influenced by any interested parties looking for preferential treatment.

"The only rationale we are using for rollout is efficiency," he said.

"We are not targeting any particular part of Northern Ireland, any particular type of premises - there's nothing else other than the efficient rollout of premises.

"Whilst we are happy to work with elected [representatives] and with community engagement groups to discuss that rollout and show people how that rollout is progressing, I would want to say that we are not really open for business to renegotiate that."

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He added: "These projects can get sidelined by... people looking to move themselves or their interests or somebody else up the queue.

"We're not going to do that - we're going to stick with the programme at its most efficient because efficient delivery of the whole project delivers the maximum benefit at the most rapid amount of time."

The company said broadband rollout to 52 designated areas was based on the most efficient phasing programme, with a target to have most premises connected by March 2024.

The project is also part-funded by Stormont, with £15m provided by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Last month the UK government announced that more Northern Ireland households could be added to the broadband network.

It said it wanted to ensure all rural areas were connected, as part of a UK-wide scheme which is known as Project Gigabit.