Mid Ulster dairy farm embraces digital transformation as part of £200m Project Stratum

Fibrus successfully delivered the landmark £200 million project on time and within budget, bringing full fibre broadband to over 81,000 homes and businesses in what was one of the largest telecoms infrastructure project ever seen in Northern Ireland. The venture was backed by the Department for the Economy, Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the UK Government.

Following the completion of Project Stratum, Fibrus was awarded the Project Gigabit NI contract in December 2025 by the Department for the Economy, on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, which will see gigabit-capable broadband offered to a further 9,000 rural homes and businesses across Northern Ireland.

The First Minister and deputy First Minister joined Fibrus onsite at a customer’s farm outside Coagh. Littlebridge Farm, a 90-cow Jersey dairy farm, was connected to full fibre broadband through Hyperfast Networks in May 2025, enabling owner Caleb Howard to embrace a digital transformation at the farm.

The First Minister and deputy First Minister saw first-hand how the farm’s Lely robotic milking system has significantly reduced milking time, allowing for smoother production and more efficient operations.

Through its connection enabled by Project Stratum, Littlebridge Farm has also been able to open a fully connected farm shop, which sells local, organic produce including Jersey ice cream, home-produced beef and pork, and a range of other produce from surrounding farms. A Jersey-cow milk vending machine was recently been installed, which relies on a Wi-Fi connection for card payments.