20
November
2015
|
09:53
Europe/London

MP hails benefits of superfast broadband in High Littleton

Summary
Nearly 700 High Littleton households and businesses now have access to superfast broadband as a result of the multi million pound Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) programme. In the wider area of Timsbury and Temple Cloud, the programme has installed a total of eight new fibre broadband cabinets since July, making the high-speed technology available to nearly 2,000 premises.

20/11/2015

MP hails benefits of superfast broadband in High Littleton

Installation of two new fibre broadband cabinets’ means nearly 700 households and businesses in High Littleton can now access superfast broadband for the first time

Nearly 700 High Littleton households and businesses now have access to superfast broadband as a result of the multi million pound Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) programme. In the wider area of Timsbury and Temple Cloud, the programme has installed a total of eight new fibre broadband cabinets since July, making the high-speed technology available to nearly 2,000 premises.

North East Somerset MP Jacob Rees-Mogg met councillors and BT representatives to mark the progress of superfast broadband in High Littleton, where two new fibre broadband cabinets have ‘gone live’. Other people attending the event included: The head teacher at High Littleton Church of England Primary School, Gareth Griffith; and BT’s programme manager for Connecting Devon and Somerset, Laurent Boon.

The North East Somerset MP, who has been campaigning for superfast broadband to be made more widely available in the area, commented: “Earlier this week the Prime Minister announced that broadband should become a civil right. In Somerset and Devon, we are well on the way to achieving the goal of providing around 90 percent of residents and businesses with access to superfast broadband by the end of 2016. High Littleton, exemplifies the benchmark that has been set for other rural areas in the country. The impact of this technology on generations is enormous and I am encouraged that in North East Somerset we are getting a head start.”

Gareth Griffith, head teacher, said: “Education is increasingly influenced by digital media, so it’s great that the children can now use cutting-edge software at home. It’s important to remember that in urban areas other children are already receiving these benefits, so in order to ensure the equality of opportunity, it’s critical that our children are given the same opportunities.”

In the CDS area, more than 990 street cabinets have now been connected to the fibre broadband network by the CDS partnership, which means more than 224,000 premises now have access to fibre broadband as a result of this ambitious programme.

Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones, cabinet member for economic development and Conservative deputy group leader for Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “It’s great to welcome superfast broadband to High Littleton. This village demonstrates the great work that CDS has done in securing superfast broadband in the region, and it shows what’s to come in the near future for other villages. Updating our access to the internet will have a huge impact on the businesses of today, as well as the businesses of tomorrow as it allows for innovation. Digital is the future, so this rollout is vital to the growth of our local economy.”

Paul Wyatt, chair of High Littleton Parish Council and managing director of local firm Ken Biggs Contractors Ltd, said: “It’s a pleasure to see High Littleton reaching such high broadband speeds. Now we have the best of both worlds as we can reap the benefits of a rural lifestyle, whilst also keeping up the pace with technology.”

Laurent Boon, BT programme manager for Connecting Devon and Somerset, said: “The recent arrival of fibre broadband in villages such as High Littleton demonstrates the success of the Connecting Devon and Somerset partnership and the extent and pace of the rollout of this exciting technology across the South West. Fibre broadband is now available to more than 340,000 Somerset households and businesses as a result of Connecting Devon and Somerset and BT’s commercial programme. Every week, more local communities are able to benefit from this multi-million pound investment. Whatever you do online you can do it better with fibre.”

Residents and businesses can keep up to date with the latest cabinets going live via Twitter @DCCSCCBroadband or via www.connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk

  • ENDS -

  • Most of the CDS programme will be Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) technology, which can deliver download speeds of up to 80Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20Mbps.These are the top wholesale speeds available to all service providers; speeds offered by service providers may vary.
  • The new network is available on an open, wholesale basis to all broadband service providers. Households and businesses wishing to place an order or find out more about fibre broadband should contact their service provider.

    About Connecting Devon and Somerset

    Councils across Devon and Somerset are working together to bring faster broadband to the area and deliver improved broadband for rural Devon and Somerset – the “final third” – rural areas that are unlikely to benefit from commercial investment in broadband.

    The Connecting Devon and Somerset Programme covers Devon County Council, Somerset County Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council, and North Somerset Council areas.

    In 2011 the programme secured £32 million of funding from the government agency Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) and both Somerset and Devon County Councils put in £10 million each. Further funding from Bath and North East Somerset Council brought the public sector total close to £53 million. With the £41 million additional investment from BT the Programme is investing £94 million to improve broadband connectivity.

    In 2014 BDUK announced a further £22.75m allocated to the CDS programme to support the extension of superfast broadband coverage to 95 per cent of premises nationally. This has been matched locally, which means the programme has over £45 million further to invest in bringing superfast broadband to the area.

    For more information, visit www.connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk

    About “Get up to Speed”

    The ‘Get up to Speed’ service is delivered by the Cosmic Peninsula Consortium on behalf of Connecting Devon and Somerset. The newly established consortium, formed by Peninsula Enterprise and Cosmic IT, will undertake a series of workshops and events that will follow the infrastructure roll out as it moves across Devon and Somerset, helping businesses and individuals’ access information and develop the skills they need to get the most from the faster broadband speeds.

    For more information please visit www.get-up-to-speed.co.uk

    About Superfast Britain

    Superfast Britain is a 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:

  • £780m to extend superfast broadband to 95% of the UK by 2017
  • £150m to provide high speed broadband to businesses in 22 cities
  • £150m to improve quality and coverage of mobile phone and basic data network services

Administered on behalf of Government by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), Superfast Britain is transforming Britain by promoting growth, enabling skills and learning, and improving quality of life.

For further information, visit https://www.gov.uk/broadband-delivery-uk