01
June
2016
|
17:05
Europe/London

Dairy Cottage in Morcombelake is the latest to milk the benefits of the Superfast Dorset rollout

Summary
Morcombelake and Chideock are among the latest Dorset communities to celebrate the arrival of superfast broadband. The multi million pound Superfast Dorset partnership has now made the high-speed technology available to more than 90 per cent of households and businesses in the county and is well on its way to achieving its goal of reaching 95 per cent Dorset premises by the end of this year.

Morcombelake and Chideock are among the latest Dorset communities to celebrate the arrival of superfast broadband.

The multi million pound Superfast Dorset partnership has now made the high-speed technology available to more than 90 per cent of households and businesses in the county and is well on its way to achieving its goal of reaching 95 per cent Dorset premises by the end of this year.

Beverly Glock, who lets her Morcombelake property Dairy Cottage to visitors, was quick to switch to a fibre service when it became available last month.

She said: “Fibre broadband in Dairy Cottage allows all of our guests to use the internet at the same time whether that’s downloading movies, playing games, connecting on social media, or occasionally joining those meetings you can’t get away from via videoconferencing.

“It keeps Dairy Cottage one step ahead of other holiday lets in the area, who haven’t upgraded yet, in attracting busy families looking for a home away from home.”

Local county councillor Daryl Turner said: “Superfast Dorset has been a complex engineering project which has built almost 500 cabinets so far and continues to benefit Dorset’s rural communities."

Paul Coles, BT’s regional manager for the South West, said: “Dairy Cottage is another great Dorset example of how this exciting technology is transforming the way we live and work. It is providing a vital boost for local communities because whatever you do online you can do it better with fibre broadband.”

Engineers from BT’s local network business, Openreach, have also recently rolled out superfast broadband on behalf of Superfast Dorset to Chedington, Langton Herring, Milborne St Andrew, South Perrott and Stour Provost for the first time and increased coverage in Boscombe, Christchurch, Parkstone, Poole, Stalbridge and Westbourne.

Broadband speeds will not automatically improve. People have to contact a broadband service provider and upgrade to a fibre service. More than 140 companies are currently offering fibre broadband services in the UK. Further information is available at https://www.dorsetforyou.com/superfast.

ENDS

Notes to editors

*Speeds quoted are the top wholesale speeds available from BT’s local network division Openreach to all broadband service providers; speeds offered by service providers to customers may vary.

About the Superfast Dorset project

Superfast Dorset is a partnership between BT, the Department of Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS), Dorset County Council, Bournemouth Borough Council, the Borough of Poole, Christchurch Borough Council, East Dorset District Council, North Dorset District Council, Purbeck District Council, West Dorset District Council and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Partner contributions, including additional funding for the Marshwood Vale, the second contract, announced in June 2015 and Dorset councils’ contribution to ensure the benefits of the infrastructure are realised:

DCMS - £11.7 m

BT - £13.29 m

Dorset councils - £12.3 m

Breakdown of Local Authority allocation:

  • Dorset County Council - £8,633,473
  • West Dorset District Council - £1,487,207
  • Christchurch Borough Council - £100,044
  • East Dorset District Council - £347,434
  • North Dorset District Council - £843,475
  • Purbeck District Council -£437,614
  • Weymouth & Portland Borough Council - £153,093
  • Bournemouth Borough Council - £70,495
  • Poole Borough Council - £227,490

Further information is available from www.dorsetforyou.com/superfast.