Manor Royal Businesses celebrate 100 per cent superfast broadband coverage
The Manor Royal Business District in Crawley is now covered by 100 per cent superfast broadband thanks to an agreement between the West Sussex Better Connected project, BT and the Manor Royal Business Improvement District (BID).
The completion of the roll out of Manor Royal’s new superfast broadband infrastructure comes 10 months after the first fibre cabinets went ‘live’ across the business district.
The Better Connected multi-million pound partnership is jointly funded by West Sussex County Council, BT and the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK). Its aim is to extend fibre broadband coverage to those areas which fall outside the private sector’s commercial fibre broadband plans.
Manor Royal Business Improvement District decided to work with the Better Connected partnership to achieve its goal of delivering 100% superfast broadband coverage across the 540 acre site, which is home to more than 500 companies. A combination of direct investment by the BID and the West Sussex Better Connected initiative has ensured that every business, new and existing, can now benefit from this improvement.
Trevor Williams, Thales UK and Chairman of Manor Royal Business District Limited was delighted at the project’s completion. “Every company located on Manor Royal is now able to take advantage of this technology thanks to our collaboration with West Sussex Better Connected and BT, and the BID’s investment in this important infrastructure,” he said. “Faster broadband is a must-have for companies to help them compete in national and international markets, and we are very pleased that 100% superfast coverage has now been achieved.
“This project had been a priority for the BID team for some time because we have seen elsewhere the impact high-speed broadband can have on helping businesses to grow, attracting inward investment and providing a boost to the local economy.”
David Barling, West Sussex Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for broadband, said: “This is a great achievement with over 500 companies now able to receive better, faster broadband and is a great example of the successful working partnership between the Better Connected project team, BT and Manor Royal Business Improvement District (BID).”
Stacey King, BT's South East regional partnership director, added: “This is great news for the Manor Royal business district and the joint partnership. High-speed broadband helps businesses grow, attracting inward investment and providing a boost to the local economy. Whatever you do on-line you can do it better with fibre broadband.”
The number of homes and businesses in West Sussex with access to faster broadband is now more than 350,000 thanks to the West Sussex Better Connected partnership and BT's commercial roll out of the technology.
Businesses wishing to order fibre broadband should contact an internet service provider of their choice.
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Notes for Editors: To discover more about the Manor Royal BID, please visit http://www.manorroyal.org
About Manor Royal Business District
Manor Royal Business District is a key economic hub within the South East region and provides the employment foundation for both Crawley and the wider Gatwick Diamond area. It is home to more than 500 businesses providing jobs for 30,000 people, 18,000 of whom commute to the area from outside the town. By itself, Manor Royal accounts for 40 per cent of Crawley's total employment and, according to the Ratings list, provides over 700 individual rateable business units.
About MRBD Limited
MRBD Limited is an independent not-for-profit company set up to represent and promote Manor Royal-based businesses. A company limited by guarantee, MRBD is responsible for managing and delivering the Manor Royal Business Improvement District (BID) using contributions from Manor Royal companies to reinvest in the area and generate additional funds to achieve its vision and objectives.
About BDUK
Superfast Britain is a UK Government programme of investment in broadband and communication infrastructure across the UK. Run by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, this investment helps businesses to grow, creates jobs and will make Britain more competitive in the global race. The portfolio is comprised of three elements:
For further information: https://www.gov.uk/broadband-delivery-uk
