£5.6m Superfast Telford broadband programme launches
Superfast Telford is officially launched today – with Dawley, Oakengates and Great Bolas announced as the first communities in the borough that will benefit from the programme.
A £5.6m partnership has been created between Telford & Wrekin Council, BT and the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme.
The Superfast Telford programme will make fibre broadband available to a further 9,300 homes and businesses that do not currently benefit from the private sector’s commercial rollout of the technology.
Telford & Wrekin Council is contributing £2m to the project, with £1.6m from BT and an additional £2m from the Government’s BDUK programme.
Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: "I am delighted Superfast Telford is joining our nationwide rollout which will deliver superfast access to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017.
“We are now reaching 40,000 more homes and businesses every week and today's launch is fantastic news for the 9,300 homes and businesses in Telford that will benefit from this £5.6m investment."
Surveys will start in the autumn with engineering work beginning at the end of the year to enable the first households and businesses to access services on the new network from next spring. People opting for an upgrade will be able to choose from a wide range of broadband service providers, of which more than 140 are currently operating the UK.
Councillor Shaun Davies, cabinet member for Customer Services, said: “We’re absolutely committed to improving high speed coverage for our residents and businesses and this is the first big step towards 98 per cent of our borough becoming superfast.”
Steve Henderson, BT’s regional director for broadband partnerships, said: “This is another important step forward in the development of digital communications across Telford and Wrekin.
“Increasingly the internet is touching our lives in new and exciting ways, which is why we’re keen to roll out this exciting fibre broadband technology as quickly as possible.
“Whether it’s homeworkers or small businesses wanting to share large files and other information with their customers and suppliers or families wanting to connect different devices online at the same time for educational research or leisure pursuits, everything is better, easier and faster with fibre broadband.”
All the latest information on the programme can be found at www.superfast-telford.co.uk including a map searchable by postcode which will give an idea of what is happening when.
