Sixth major award for Superfast Cornwall
Superfast Cornwall, the pioneering partnership between the EU, BT and Cornwall Council, has won a major marketing award.
It beat competition from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Met Office to win the public sector category at the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Marketing Excellence Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, hosted by leading comedian Jimmy Carr.
More than 600 of the nation’s top marketing professionals attended the awards ceremony. It is the partnership’s sixth major award since it was launched more than three years ago. Previous awards have included ‘Project of the Year’ at the World Communication Awards and European Growth Leadership Award in Rural Broadband Deployment by international analysts Frost and Sullivan.
Ranulf Scarbrough, Superfast Cornwall programme director for BT, said: “This is wonderful recognition for a partnership, which has set the superfast broadband pace for rural areas not only in the UK, but also across Europe. The partnership has embraced traditional and new media channels to drive some of the highest fibre broadband take-up in the UK.”
Nigel Ashcroft, Superfast Cornwall programme director for Cornwall Development Company, the economic development company for Cornwall Council, said: “This proves the power of partnership in action, bringing an innovative and ground-breaking campaign to Cornwall, boosting the economy and making a real and lasting difference to the lives of people in the county. And we are certainly not going to rest on our laurels. Superfast Cornwall will continue to forge ahead, setting the standard for others to follow.”
Fibre broadband coverage in Cornwall has now reached about 85 per cent of homes and businesses in the county and it is set to reach 95 per cent by the end of the year. About 41,000 Cornish customers are already using high-speed fibre optic broadband and the number is increasing rapidly.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
About the Convergence Programme
The Superfast Cornwall programme is part financed by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Convergence 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.gov.uk/browse/business/funding-debt/european-regional-development-funding
Project Investment:
ERDF Convergence investment: Up to £53.5 million
BT Investment: Up to £78.5 million
TOTAL: Up to £132 million
For more information visit www.erdfconvergence.org.uk
About Cornwall Development Company
Cornwall Development Company Ltd is the arms length economic development company for Cornwall Council. Further information is available at www.cornwalldevelopmentcompany.co.uk
About Openreach
Openreach is BT’s local network business responsible for the last mile of the UK access network – the copper wires and fibre connecting homes and businesses to their local telephone exchanges. Openreach provides communications providers with services and products associated with that network.
