Six communities now able to sign up to fibre broadband
More than 2700 properties in Rutland are now able to connect to high-speed fibre broadband thanks to the Digital Rutland project.
Just over half of homes and businesses in Uppingham now have access to fibre broadband, along with the majority of properties in the villages of Edith Weston, Ketton, Stretton and Ridlington. They follow North
Luffenham, which was the first area to be connected. Residents living in one of the areas already ‘switched on’ can find out more about fibre broadband by contacting their Internet Service Provider who will be able to advise them of the packages available.
Deputy Leader of Rutland County Council, Councillor Terry King, said: “After months of hard work, we’re pleased to have over 2700 homes across six communities now able to connect to fibre broadband. Early feedback from North Luffenham, the location of the first cabinet to be switched on in Rutland, is positive with many homeworkers among the first to place an order for superfast broadband.”
Councillor King added: “A great deal of work is also taking place focussed on areas of the county that present us with a challenge. Properties located further from the exchange will invariably receive lower broadband speeds than those in close proximity. We are looking at how to provide the best infrastructure possible.”
Bill Murphy, managing director of next generation access for BT Group, said: “It’s a great achievement that so many people in Rutland can already access this fantastic technology. High-speed fibre broadband is a very exciting step forward for these communities. It will provide a major boost for local businesses and households. Whatever you do online you can do it better with fibre broadband.”
Download speeds up to 80Mbps are expected in most areas and residents can choose a fibre broadband package from an internet service provider of their choice. As many as 9000 households are due to be able to order fibre across the county by early September, via the project.
During the next few months, the majority of homes and businesses in Rutland will get access to high-speed fibre broadband through the Digital Rutland project and as part of BT’s commercial rollout.
All ten telephone exchanges located in Rutland are being upgraded meaning the great majority of the 17,000 homes and businesses within the county will then have access to high-speed fibre broadband from an internet provider of their choice. The new network is available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies offering broadband services.
High-speed fibre broadband will provide local businesses with better access to technology, such as cloud computing, as well as making flexible working easier, whilst residents can utilise the faster download speeds when using social media, catch up TV or when downloading music.
Fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), which is capable of delivering speeds of up to 80Mbps, will be the main technology deployed and will be rolled out first. Even faster fibre to the premises (FTTP) technology, offering speeds of up to 330Mbps, will also be available “on demand” in FTTC areas.
Digital Rutland is funded by Rutland County Council, BT and BDUK (Department for Culture, Media & Sport.)
BT was chosen by the Council following an extensive and thorough selection process.
To find out which Cabinet your home is connected to, or for more information about the Digital Rutland project visit www.rutland.gov.uk/digitalrutland.
Notes to Editors
The following areas are now able to connect to high-speed fibre broadband:
Edith Weston - 441 properties
*Ketton – 670 (note: this figure is expected to have increased to 833 by the completion of the Digital Rutland project)
North Luffenham - 292 properties
Ridlington - 74 properties
Stretton - 92 properties
*Uppingham 1212 (note: this figure is expected to have increased to 1,768 by the completion of the project)
