Shropshire launches quest for superfast broadband
Rural areas of Shropshire could have superfast broadband in the future if a £15 million bid by Shropshire Council is successful.
The council has bid for the funding as part of a £530 million Government fund earmarked to support the roll-out of superfast broadband to areas that the market alone will not reach.
Shropshire is one of 18 areas to apply for the money, and each will receive funding throughout this year, announced in a series of rounds.
A website has been set up at www.connectingshropshire.co.uk which explains more about Shropshire’s bid, and how the public can join in and help the county secure the funding. The aim is to have every home and business connected to an affordable broadband service by 2016.
The first areas to be awarded funding from the Government were Devon, Somerset, Norfolk and Wiltshire, with the Shropshire bid team hoping to be in the next round. Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) is the organisation considering the applications, and it will meet with council officers later in the summer to discuss the next steps.
Shropshire Council Cabinet member for IT, Councillor Martin Taylor-Smith, said:
“This money will be incredibly helpful in our quest to improve broadband provision both for businesses and residents of Shropshire. We are very hopeful of securing the funding in the next round of bids, and I’m excited at the prospect of making a real difference to the lives of people living in the county’s rural areas.”
Council leader, Keith Barrow, added:
“The team have been working really hard and are disappointed not to be in the first round of successful bids, but we are absolutely committed to securing this funding in the near future. We are now arranging to meet with BDUK in June to prepare our plan for support at the earliest opportunity.”
