£4.4m Fibre Broadband Extension For Midlands
Midlands-based businesses are set to benefit from super-fast broadband with the rollout of a £4.4 million fibre extension, which will include rural parts of Leicestershire.
Leicestershire County Council has announced that reinvestment of prior funding by the council and BT means that millions of pounds can now be used to roll out fibre broadband to an additional 2,000 premises by September 2018.
The council and the telecoms provider have already made superfast broadband technology available to 60,000 homes and businesses throughout the county under their Superfast Leicestershire partnership.
Commenting on the announcement, Matt Hancock, minister for digital, said: “Superfast broadband is increasingly at the heart of modern life and we are determined to make sure everyone has the fast and reliable connectivity they need.”
Meanwhile, council leader Nick Rushton said that broadband is an essential driver for growth, innovation and job creation – businesses need reliable, fit-for-future communications provisions. He added that the programme has been delivered on time and under budget.
High-speed broadband can help speed up working practices, as well as saving companies money on expensive phone calls by enabling the use of voip business phone systems.
Among the places set to benefit from the fibre extension is Potters Marston in Blaby, areas of Charnwood, Coleorton and Farm Town in north-west Leicestershire and parts of Hinckley and Bosworth.
The announcement follows the revelation from BT last month that the company has rolled out fibre broadband to more than 26.5 million premises. The telco has announced plans to become the UK’s digital champion and is ready to invest in new technology and infrastructure to achieve its goals, chief executive Gavin Patterson said.