Around 60,000 premises in the county will be connected by underground and overhead cables to “the fastest broadband on the market”.
Installation work is already underway in the region, with the first gigabit connections expected by the spring.
The project is part of the government’s £5bn Project Gigabit programme.
Michelle Donelan, secretary of state at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), said: “We’re steaming ahead with our plan to level up internet speeds across Cumbria, which will see the biggest investment to date from the government’s Project Gigabit - the biggest broadband roll out in British history.
“Tens of thousands of rural homes and businesses will be able to plug into faster connections in the new network, allowing Cumbrian communities to take full advantage of the endless benefits lightning-fast broadband has to offer.”
Award of the contract for Cumbria comes just a few weeks after Borderlink Broadband, trading as GoFibre, was handed a £7.3m contract to upgrade broadband for more than 3,750 hard-to-reach North Northumberland premises and a £6.6m contract to connect 4,000 rural premises in Teesdale.
By the end of 2025, the government is targeting 85% of the UK to have gigabit-capable connectivity. Cornwall, Hampshire, Shropshire & Telford, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk are all in line for contract awards by summer 2023
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