Gigabit Pathways

The NHS England, Future Connectivity Gigabit Pathway provides a range of expertise and technical and commercial resources to support ultrafast (gigabit capable) connectivity in health with speeds up to one gigabit per second and more.

Every NHS organisation and integrated care system (ICS) has been assigned a regional lead who will support the system to deliver access to a fast and efficient network.

Engage with the programme to see if you are eligible to receive support for the 2024/25 financial year while funds are available. If you represent a trust or ICB contact your regional lead to find out how you can access ultrafast gigabit connectivity.

For more information email [email protected]

Ensuring the NHS has access to gigabit capable infrastructure.

Why gigabit is essential

As digitisation accelerates across health and social care, demand for bandwidth is increasing by no less than 30% year on year, with faster, more reliable, ‘always on’ connectivity needed to support new and emerging models of care.

Digital services across the NHS such as electronic patient records (EPRs), online clinical imaging, patient video consultations, patient screening, scanning equipment and clinical IT systems all need high performing, fast and reliable network connectivity.

Some NHS organisations still rely on slow and less reliable connectivity technologies which use copper telephone lines and provide a barrier to the essential healthcare digitisation projects currently underway.

To meet the growing demand for connectivity and ensure digital transformation is not hindered by network infrastructure, the NHS must make plans now to adopt and, where necessary, invest in the provision of ultrafast (gigabit capable) connectivity to support the delivery of digitally mature health services.

How the Future Connectivity programme can help you

Providing a range of expertise and technical and commercial resources, the Future Connectivity programme will work with you to:

identify your individual site-level connectivity requirements
choose suitable connectivity solutions
provide options for funding to deliver access to a fast and efficient ubiquitous network solution

Every NHS organisation and ICS has been assigned a regional lead who will support the system though the development of its gigabit pathway, as well as signpost to other workstreams within the programme.

The programme has supported over 1700 sites to be gigabit capable; act now to see if you are eligible to receive support for the 2024/2025 financial year while funds are available. Local IT functions should contact their regional lead via their trust or ICB lead to find out how to access ultrafast gigabit connectivity.

If you represent a local site, for example a GP practice, clinic or hospital site engage first with your trust or ICB lead.

For more information about the programme or how to contact your regional lead, register for the Future Connectivity FutureNHS workspace or email [email protected].

Your Gigabit Pathway journey

The Gigabit Pathway has an established delivery approach to support your journey to gigabit. This programme will work with you from start to finish across these stages.

1. Understand your current position

We engage with you to capture baseline information about your connectivity estate.

2. Form your future plans

We work with you understand your future connectivity needs, map this against market availability of gigabit products and determine your pathway to gigabit in a Gigabit Pathway Plan.

If you require support or intervention to achieve gigabit sooner than it is available, or sooner than you can deliver it and gigabit connectivity is available, the programme is here to help accelerate your access to gigabit.

3. Create your local investment plan

We work with you to identify all your sites which require intervention and support to quicken your uptake of gigabit – as outlined in your Gigabit Pathway Plan. We then support you to create a Local Investment Plan for the sites that require support, define a clear case for change and agree the funding support required.

4. Release funding for your implementation

We release the funding approved in your Local Investment Plan and transact money at the point of order to enable your gigabit plans.

5. Your local implementation

This is when you will work with your suppliers to implement new gigabit connections, through to achieving gigabit.

Your Gigabit Pathway Plan

The Gigabit Pathway Plan is a detailed document that outlines the connectivity pathways (current and proposed) for each site within your organisation. The programme will work with you to develop this plan, taking advantage of dynamic market intelligence and commercial, technical and delivery subject matter experts to enable you to make data-driven decisions about what connectivity you require at each of your sites, and by when.

The Gigabit Pathway Plan has three crucial benefits for NHS organisations:

Make informed decisions from real time data

Your plan is based on our market intelligence from trusted sources to give you a holistic view of the latest options available to you now and in the future*.

Prioritise effectively

Your plan enables you to identify and prioritise which sites require connectivity upgrades, and which sites need accelerated access to gigabit connectivity to address your local needs. As part of your plan and prioritisation, we'll support you to make decisions that will achieve the best value for money.

Reduce reliance on supplier information

Your plan helps you to be well informed about your connectivity options and, by knowing what's available, you can have effective conversations with your suppliers rather than relying on suppliers to tell you what's available and when.

For more information about creating your Gigabit Pathway Plan register for the Future Connectivity FutureNHS workspace or email [email protected].

* Our data is based on the speeds provided by Ofcom, dates of planned availability provided by suppliers to Building Digital UK (BDUK) through Open Market Reviews (OMR) and Public Reviews (PR), and modelling and market data from broadband consultancy firm PointTopic. Our data is the most accurate picture available on the day your Gigabit Pathway Plan is generated, but commercial supplier plans are subject to change. Our SMEs will make sure you have access to the latest market intelligence and can regenerate your Gigabit Pathway Plan at any given time upon request.

Your Local Investment Plan

The Local Investment Plan is a detailed plan which outlines the case for change and why gigabit connectivity is required, the sites that require interventions to quicken your uptake of gigabit and the funding required. The programme will work with you to develop this plan, taking advantage of commercial, technical and delivery subject matter experts to ensure that you have suitable funding in place to enable connectivity at each of your sites.

The Local Investment Plan has three crucial benefits for NHS organisations:

Make the case for change

Your plan will provide context as to why gigabit connectivity is needed and will help you get local buy-in and engagement.

Quicken your uptake of gigabit

Your plan will detail the sites that need intervention to quicken your access to gigabit and the funding required to help you to prioritise the sites that need gigabit connectivity the most.

Secure local funding

Your plan will outline the capital and revenue contributions required by both the programme and locally to accelerate your gigabit connectivity.

Last edited: 5 April 2024 9:35 am