Cornwall joins UK's broadband big hitters as symmetrical broadband service up to 2Gbps launches for the first time
Wildanet becomes first provider in Cornwall to offer upload speeds matching download – “Symmetrical broadband”
Advanced connectivity puts Cornwall and Devon on a par with major UK cities
Business and technology leaders say digital capability will help unlock the economic potential of Cornwall and Devon
New symmetrical technology at speeds up to 2Gbps expected to transform connectivity for households, remote workers and growing businesses
Cornwall and Devon are set to benefit from some of the fastest and most advanced broadband speeds available anywhere in the UK, as local provider Wildanet launches a new symmetrical full fibre service – a first for Cornwall and a significant moment in wider region’s digital future.
Unlike conventional broadband, where upload speeds are a fraction of download speeds, symmetrical connectivity means users can send and receive data equally quickly – at speeds up to 2Gbps in both directions. This is a service no other provider in Cornwall can currently offer.
For families juggling streaming, gaming, remote working and online learning across multiple devices, the new service delivers faster, smoother and more reliable connectivity throughout the home – for example downloading a hour-long HDTV programme in as little as four seconds.
For businesses, it provides the high-capacity digital capability increasingly needed for cloud and AI applications, software development, digital collaboration and content creation.
According to Ofcom, the average maximum broadband download speed in the UK was 285Mbps in 2025. At speeds of up to 2Gbps, Wildanet’s new symmetrical service is capable of delivering speeds around seven times faster than that national average.
The wider implications for Cornwall and Devon go beyond faster broadband. Advanced connectivity of this kind is increasingly a deciding factor for businesses choosing where to locate, for skilled workers choosing where to live and for entrepreneurs building the next generation of digital businesses. Cornwall and Devon’s growing strengths in tech, creative industries, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, marine and space mean the demand for world-class digital infrastructure has never been greater. The arrival of symmetrical 2Gbps broadband signals Cornwall is ready to meet it.
The launch comes as Cornwall Council earlier this month unveiled its new Cornwall Connected Digital Inclusion Strategy, which identifies reliable digital connectivity as a key foundation for economic opportunity, thriving communities and long-term growth across the county.
Access to next-generation infrastructure such as symmetrical broadband at up to 2Gbps will be increasingly important in attracting investment, supporting innovation and helping Cornwall compete with the UK’s most digitally advanced regions.
Simon Hughes, Wildanet Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Digital connectivity is now fundamental infrastructure for both communities and the economy. Cornwall and Devon have huge strengths in innovation, creativity and emerging industries but if the county is to realise its full potential it needs digital capability on a par with anywhere else in the UK.
“Symmetrical connectivity helps support the way people increasingly live and work, whether that’s running a business, collaborating remotely, studying online or managing a busy connected household.”
“The launch of Cornwall Connected highlights just how important digital infrastructure has become to Cornwall’s future. Reliable, high-capacity connectivity is essential for creating opportunity, attracting investment and supporting the next generation of innovation and growth. We’re proud to be playing our part in helping deliver that future.”
Holly Patton, Co-CEO and Director of Tech Cornwall and Director of Software Cornwall, said:
“For too long, connectivity has been one of the barriers holding Cornwall’s economy back from its full potential not just the tech sector, but businesses of every kind.
“This changes that conversation entirely. Businesses here can now work at the same pace as their counterparts in big cities: no compromises, no workarounds. For the Tech sector it’s the kind of infrastructure that helps attract investment, supports high-growth businesses and gives talented people the confidence to build their careers and companies here rather than feeling they need to move to a city. Cornwall has enormous strengths in tech and innovation and now it has the digital infrastructure to match.”
Toby Parkins, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce interim-CEO, said: “Digital connectivity is now as fundamental to business as roads and utilities, and for too long businesses in Cornwall have had to make do with infrastructure that doesn’t match their ambitions. That changes now.
Whether you’re a small business, a creative agency working with clients across the world, or a growing company trying to attract skilled people – you can now operate on a level playing field with businesses anywhere in the country.
That removes one of the traditional barriers to doing world-class business from Cornwall, and that’s a significant moment for the county.”
Wildanet, founded in Cornwall and with its headquarters in Liskeard, has rapidly expanded its full fibre network across Cornwall and Devon in recent years through a combination of private investment and publicly funded initiatives including Project Gigabit, with more than 50,000 connections now enabled across the region.
The arrival of symmetrical 2Gbps connectivity represents a further evolution in Wildanet’s network and has been enabled by the company’s use of advanced “XGS-PON” full fibre technology – a newer generation of fibre infrastructure capable of supporting much higher levels of digital capacity and performance than previous (GPON) networks.
Many traditional fibre broadband networks still rely on the older “GPON” fibre technology that limits download speeds to a maximum of around 900 Mbps, with significantly slower upload speeds. Wildanet’s network and supporting software is designed to deliver both upload and download speeds at up to 2Gbps.
More information is available on the Wildanet website at: www.wildanet.com/home-broadband/symmetrical-broadband
