Northern Lincs broadband team chew over the benefits of superfast broadband at normanby hall food festival
Thousands of local homes and business already benefitting from roll-out
Visitors to the Normanby Hall Food Festival will be able to try something a little bit different this year as the Northern Lincs Broadband team demonstrate the benefits of fibre broadband.
A mobile showcase exhibiting how the technology works and applications it can support will give visitors a taste of what superfast broadband has to offer at the festival which will take place on Sunday May 18 at Normanby Hall Country Park.
Members of the team will also be on hand to answer questions about the Northern Lincs Broadband roll-out.
The first phase of the £9.6 million roll-out is now well underway. Since work began just three months ago more than 2000 homes and businesses in 13 exchange areas across Northern Lincolnshire have been given access to high speed, fibre broadband as a result of the programme. By the end of June 2015 up to 92 per cent of North and North-East Lincolnshire premises will have access to the high-speed technology.
Openreach, BT’s local network business, will soon make fibre broadband available in places such as Burton-upon-Stather, Winterton and Epworth. There will also be a substantial investment to make fibre more widely available in Brigg,
Scunthorpe, Barton-upon-Humber, Messingham, Grimsby, Healing and Scartho which are already included in BT’s commercial roll-out plans.
Engineering work to lay the new network is now under way with all communities included in phase one of the roll-out due to be upgraded by the end of September.
Cllr Neil Poole, cabinet member for Policy and Resources at North Lincolnshire Council, said: “We are well on target with rolling out superfast broadband across Northern Lincolnshire and we know many people still have questions about what it means for them – both residents and businesses.
“The Normanby Hall Food Festival is always a popular event, so it is a great opportunity for the Northern Lincs Broadband team to go along and chat with people at the festival. If you would like to find out more about fibre broadband, when it will be coming to your area and what the advantages are then pop along to the Food Festival and speak to the broadband team.”
The Northern Lincs Broadband programme will build on BT’s commercial investment of £2.5 billion to roll-out fibre broadband to two-thirds of UK premises. This investment has already provided fibre broadband connectivity in Brigg, Barton on Humber, Healing, Grimsby, Messingham, Scartho and Scunthorpe.
The investment in fibre broadband will boost the local economy and help to create or protect local jobs. It will be of particular benefit to local businesses which can use the faster speeds to improve their competitiveness both within the UK and abroad.
Northern Lincs Broadband has developed a free programme of business support to help eligible small businesses to save time, money and improve efficiency. The programme of dedicated IT specialists and business advisors provides tailored support geared towards maximising the benefits of improved connectivity.
For up to date information on available business support and the roll-out visit
www.investinnorthlincs.co.uk or www.northlincs.gov.uk.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
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: https://www.gov.uk/broadband-delivery-uk
About Northern Lincs Broadband
The Northern Lincs Broadband Programme is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information, visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf.
