The £1.7 billion nationwide rollout is firmly on track to extend superfast broadband to 95% of UK homes and businesses by 2017. The rate at which the fibre technology is being rolled out under the programme is rapidly accelerating, with up to 40,000 premises gaining access every week.
The UK-wide rollout is a key part of the government’s long-term economic plan to secure Britain’s future by providing access to superfast broadband in areas the private sector would not otherwise have reached. The current rural programme will deliver returns of £20 for every £1 invested, representing tremendous value for money.
As a result of the work being done, more than 161,500 homes and businesses in the East of England are already able to access the new fibre broadband service the rollout is delivering.
The Connecting Cambridgeshire partnership has already made high-speed fibre broadband available to more than 30,000 homes and businesses in rural parts of the county.
During a fact-finding visit to Cambridgeshire today, the Minister heard how the programme had achieved the significant milestone just 34 weeks after the first green roadside cabinets went live. To date, 150 new fibre cabinets have been installed in over 50 communities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, giving thousands of people access to high speed fibre broadband, with many more to come over the next year.
Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: “I congratulate Connecting Cambridgeshire on their excellent progress to date. I’m delighted to hear that 30,000 homes and business in the county have joined more than a million others around the UK who are already benefiting from the Government’s UK rollout.”
Faster broadband will not only improve profits for UK businesses, but will create an additional 56,000 jobs in the UK by 2024.The work involved in the current roll out is expected to provide a £1.5 billion boost to local economies. By 2024, the government’s current investments in faster broadband will be boosting rural economies by £275 million every month, or around £9 million every day.
Current UK coverage of superfast broadband is the highest of the top 5 European economies and we also lead our European counterparts in terms of take up, competitiveness and pricing. But Government recognises that there is still more to do.
Current plans will ensure superfast speeds for 95% of the UK, but Government firmly believes that its transformation of the digital landscape should reach every area of the UK. Focus is now on the “final 5%” – those areas in the most remote and hardest to reach places in the UK that are not covered by existing plans. £10m has been invested in a series of pilot projects currently under way in 8 locations across the nation to investigate the best way of tackling these areas. The findings will be used to inform future funding bids to ensure everyone benefits from the transformation of the digital landscape currently underway.
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: “More than a million homes and businesses have now benefitted as a result of Government’s investment in superfast broadband.
“It is totally transforming the way we live and work. You can download feature length films faster, chatting online with family and friends around the world using VOIP is more reliable and households can go online simultaneously without the connection slowing down or dropping out.”
“For Businesses, superfast speeds are boosting profits through increased sales, reduced overheads and accessing markets abroad for the first time.”
Grahame Nix, Chief Executive of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “Digital connectivity is a vital element of the infrastructure that we need to support our future growth aspirations and sustainability across the LEP area from our cities to our vibrant rural communities. As part of the best performing region for broadband delivery, we want to ensure that this momentum continues to ensure we have a digitally connected business community ready for the future.”
Councillor Mac McGuire, Deputy Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, which is leading the Connecting Cambridgeshire programme, said: “It is a significant milestone that the Connecting Cambridgeshire superfast roll-out has reached 30,000 premises in just over eight months. The programme is making fantastic progress and we’re already seeing the huge difference that faster connectivity makes to busy households and rural businesses.
“Faster broadband is helping to boost our economy, allowing our businesses to compete and create jobs. It also makes it far easier for residents to access vital services and keep in touch in a digital world.
“We realise there are still a lot of people waiting for better broadband and we want to reassure them that it’s on the way. This is a challenging engineering project, however we are on track to make Cambridgeshire one of the best connected counties in the country by the end of next year.”
Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: “Today’s milestone shows just how far we’ve come in bringing faster, more reliable broadband to communities across the country.
“Thanks to our funding, we’re helping bridge the gap between urban and rural areas, enabling some of our most isolated businesses and communities to grow and thrive.
“This investment will make a real difference to the rural economy, changing the way that businesses and consumers can use the internet and securing a better future for Britain.”
Find out more about the work of Connecting Cambridgeshire here and the grant funding available to businesses via Destination Digital here.
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