OnLincolnshire brings high speed fibre broadband to thousands more residents
More than 34,000 businesses and residents can now enjoy better broadband, thanks to the Onlincolnshire project.
The latest communities to benefit from the multi-million pound partnership between Lincolnshire councils and BT, with additional funding from the Government and European Regional Development Fund, are Metheringham, Market Rasen, Woodhall Spa, Kirton and Horncastle
Councillor Richard Davies, Executive Member for IT for Lincolnshire County Council, said: "We're now bringing faster broadband to over 1,000 Lincolnshire properties a week, which is a fantastic achievement.
"To get better speeds, people in these upgraded areas should now contact their broadband provider to check for availability and upgrade their contract.
"Better broadband brings a wealth of opportunities to both businesses and residents alike, and we're determined that Lincolnshire won't miss out."
Building upon the existing commercial roll-out by the private sector in the county, the ambitious project remains on target to provide at least 89 per cent of all properties with access to superfast fibre broadband by April 2016. The County Council is also planning a second phase that aims to extend coverage to 95 per cent by the end of 2017.
Additionally, for the first time ever standard broadband of at least 2Mbps should be available everywhere in Lincolnshire.
Bill Murphy, managing director of next generation access for BT, said: “The Onlincolnshire programme is making strong progress, bringing high-speed fibre broadband to some of the most challenging areas. The programme shows the power of the public and private sectors working together.
“BT has brought technical expertise to the table as well as millions of pounds of investment and, if we can go further, we will do so. This exciting technology is providing a major boost for local households and businesses whether they are using it to work more efficiently and find new customers or for online learning and leisure.”
The high-speed network is available on an open, wholesale basis to all communication providers, therefore offering Lincolnshire households and businesses the benefit of real choice from a highly competitive market.
This announcement comes as the Government revealed that more than 1 million UK homes and businesses now have access to superfast broadband as a result of the UK wide rollout.
An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 premises are now gaining access every week and the programme will extend superfast broadband to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017.
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: “More than a million homes and businesses have now benefitted as a result of Government’s investment in superfast broadband.
“It is totally transforming the way we live and work. You can download feature length films faster, chatting online with family and friends around the world using VOIP is more reliable and households can go online simultaneously without the connection slowing down or dropping out.
For Businesses, superfast speeds are boosting profits through increased sales, reduced overheads and accessing markets abroad for the first time.”
For further details on the Onlincolnshire project and to find out initial information on what's planned for each area, please visit www.onlincolnshire.org . Details may be subject to change.
ENDS
