Quickline wins two top honours at the UK Fibre Awards 2026

Quickline CEO Mark Bowden

THE East Yorkshire-based independent broadband provider is celebrating a double win at the UK Fibre Awards 2026, having been named Community Champion as well as crowned Best Rural Fibre Provider.

The awards recognise the company’s rapid rollout of gigabit-capable broadband across hard-to-reach parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, alongside its work to ensure communities have the skills, support and opportunities to benefit from better connectivity.

The Community Champion award reflects the impact of Quickline’s community programme, delivered with a range of partners including Age UK Hull and East Yorkshire, the Woodland Trust, local authorities, schools and community organisations.

Over the past year, Quickline provided 25 community venues with a full fibre connection, taking the total to more than 50 digital hubs with free full fibre, supported 10,000 students through STEM, digital skills and online safety workshops, reached 5,000 children and parents through online safety initiatives, donated more than 100 devices and invested over £450,000 in bursaries, grants and community programmes.

The Best Rural Fibre Provider award recognises the pace and quality of Quickline’s rural rollout. Between March 2025 and March 2026, the business reached almost 50,000 funded premises across four Project Gigabit contracts, all delivered on or ahead of schedule.

Early adoption has been strong, with take-up rates reaching 15% in its first West Yorkshire contract and up to 20% in some commercial build areas, demonstrating clear demand for high-quality rural connectivity.

Delivering full fibre in rural areas brings major challenges, from dispersed properties to limited infrastructure, but Quickline has overcome these through a highly localised approach, working closely with landowners, local authorities and communities to accelerate build while maintaining quality and safety.

In 2025, the company also opened a new operational hub and training centre in Leeds, supporting the creation of almost 130 apprenticeships across its network and supply chain.

Quickline CEO Mark Bowden said: “We’re delighted to have been named both Community Champion and Best Rural Fibre Provider at the UK Fibre Awards 2026. These awards reflect the hard work and commitment of teams right across Quickline and our partners.

“It’s fantastic to be recognised and I’m very proud of how far we've come. There's still plenty to do and we'll keep focusing on delivering for our customers, supporting our communities and moving closer to our vision of becoming the region's best-loved broadband provider.”

As a Yorkshire-based provider, Quickline combines large-scale infrastructure delivery with strong local investment, helping ensure rural connectivity delivers lasting benefits for communities, businesses and the regional economy.