Rural broadband set for £362m boost

Published 16th Aug 2011

Culture secretary says fund will ensure that 90% of hard-to-reach communities could have superfast broadband by 2015


Millions of Britons living in rural areas are set to benefit from faster internet speeds after the government allocated £362m to improve broadband connections in England and Scotland.

The culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said on Tuesday that the fund would ensure that 90% of hard-to-reach communities with "painfully slow" internet speeds could have access to superfast broadband by 2015.

Remote villages in areas of regions such as Cumbria and the Scottish Highlands where it is currently hard to load a simple web page, should be able to download or stream high-quality movies within four years.

English counties will get £294m and Scotland £68.8m to bring high-speed internet to areas not catered for by the private sector. The allocations come out of the £530m "digital Britain" fund commitment by the chancellor, George Osborne, earlier this year.

"I am absolutely determined that the UK will have the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015 – one that we all benefit from," Hunt said. "Fast broadband is absolutely vital to our economic growth, to delivering public services effectively, and to conducting our everyday lives.

"But some areas of the UK are missing out, with many rural and hard-to-reach communities suffering painfully slow internet connections or no coverage at all. We are not prepared to let some parts of our country get left behind in the digital age."

English councils and private enterprises will be put in charge of delivering the broadband rollout, with delivery plans and match-funding expected to be drawn up to set timetables. The Scottish government will determine how to allocate the money in Scotland.

Hunt added: "The government is investing £530m of public money to help bring broadband to every home and business in the UK. We are doing our part – it is now up to local authorities and the Scottish government to do their bit, to get on board and work with us to secure the social and economic future of their communities."

"I urge all those suffering the frustration of slow internet connections to make it clear to your local elected representatives that you expect them to do what is needed to access this investment and to deliver broadband to your community."

Wales and Northern Ireland have already been allocated their share of the fund for the broadband rollout.

Wales was last month allocated £56.9m, with the Welsh government expected to match the fund to complete the rural broadband upgrade plan.

Northern Ireland is to get £4.4m as part of the programme. The Northern Ireland Executive will decide how to spend the money.
Funding allocated by county in England

Bedfordshire (Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton): £1,060,000

Berkshire (Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham): £1,430,000

Buckinghamshire (Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes): £2,100,000

Cambridgeshire (Cambridgeshire, Peterborough): £6,750,000

Cheshire (Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Warrington): £3,240,000

Cumbria (Cumbria): £17,130,000

Derbyshire (Derbyshire, Derby): £7,390,000

Devon and Somerset (Devon, Plymouth, Torbay, Somerset, North Somerset): £31,320,000

Dorset (Dorset, Bournemouth, Poole): £9,440,000

Durham (County Durham, Gateshead): £7,790,000

East Sussex (East Sussex, Brighton and Hove): £10,640,000

Essex (Essex, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock): £6,460,000

Gloucestershire (Gloucestershire): £8,070,000

Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan): £990,000

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton): £8,420,000

Herefordshire (County of Herefordshire): £6,350,000

Hertfordshire (Hertfordshire): £1,110,000

Humber (City Of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire): £8,540,000 (subject to revision)

Kent (Kent, Medway): £9,870,000

Lancashire (Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool): £10,830,000

Leicestershire and Rutland (Leicestershire, Leicester, Rutland): £3,880,000

Lincolnshire (Lincolnshire): £14,310,000

Merseyside (Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral): £5,460,000

Norfolk (Norfolk): £15,440,000

Northamptonshire (Northamptonshire): £4,080,000

Northumberland (Northumberland): £7,030,000

North Yorkshire (North Yorkshire, York): £17,840,000

Nottinghamshire (Nottinghamshire, Nottingham): £4,250,000

Oxfordshire (Oxfordshire): £3,860,000

Shropshire (Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin): £8,210,000

Staffordshire (Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent): £7,440,000

Suffolk (Suffolk): £11,680,000

Surrey (Surrey): £1,310,000

Tees Valley (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees): £770,000

Tyne and Wear (Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland): £3,420,000

Warwickshire (Warwickshire, Coventry, Solihull): £4,070,000

West of England (Bath and North East Somerset, City of Bristol, South Gloucestershire): £1,430,000

West Midlands (Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton): £630,000

West Sussex (West Sussex): £6,260,000

West Yorkshire (Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield): £6,340,000

Wiltshire (Wiltshire, Swindon): £4,900,000

Worcestershire (Worcestershire): £3,350,000

Source: ' Guardian '

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