04
September
2014
|
23:00
Europe/London

High-Speed fibre broadband arrives for more than 2,000 Harborough homes and businesses

A project to bring improved internet speeds to rural areas has already made fibre broadband available to more than 2,000 homes and businesses in the Harborough district.

Kibworth Beauchamp, Kibworth Harcourt, and Foxton are the first communities in Harborough to benefit from the multi million pound Superfast Leicestershire programme. The project has also extended fibre broadband coverage in Market Harborough. The news comes as the project celebrates the anniversary of its launch at Foxton Locks one year ago.

Superfast Leicestershire aims to extend high-speed fibre broadband coverage beyond the private sector’s commercial roll-out to reach 96 per cent of premises in the county. It is a partnership between the Government, Leicestershire County Council, District Councils and BT.

By the end of March 2016 the project will have made fibre broadband available to around 62,000 premises in the county and more than 13,000 in the Harborough District.

Harborough District Council is contributing £530,000 towards the Superfast Leicestershire project with the remaining funding coming from Leicestershire County Council (£4m), The Government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme (£3.3 million) and £1.2 million from the European Regional Development Fund. BT is also contributing £8.9 million towards the overall cost of the Superfast Leicestershire deployment.

Cllr Blake Pain, leader of Harborough District Council said: “This project continues to make a huge difference to residents and businesses across the district, and beyond. It is anticipated investment in high-speed broadband could generate £92m of economic growth by 2021. We will continue work with local communities as this project reaches more areas as well as help small businesses to adopt technologies and grow.”

Cllr Phil King, who represents the Kibworth ward, said: “In the modern age, we are more and more reliant on the internet in our daily lives. The fact that thousands of homes and businesses locally are now able to connect to high-speed fibre broadband is particularly pleasing. This is, of course, part of a wider programme and we look forward to more rural areas being connected as the roll-out continues.”

Paul Bimson, BT’s regional partnership director for the East Midlands, said: “I’m delighted to be back in the Harborough District one year on since the launch of the Superfast Leicestershire project. After months of careful planning the project’s roll-out of high speed broadband is now well underway and we look forward to providing more and more homes and businesses in the Harborough District with access to this revolutionary technology.”

The high-speed network is available on an open, wholesale basis to all communication providers, therefore offering Leicestershire households and businesses the benefit of real choice from a highly competitive market.

To find out when superfast fibre broadband will be available in your area go to www.superfastleicestershire.org.uk