The Superfast Broadband Nottinghamshire project will build on BT’s commercial investment in the county which will deliver fibre broadband to more than 400,000 premises in the county by the end of 2014.
Once the project is complete, high speed broadband of up to 80Mbps will be available to 95% of homes and businesses by the end of March 2016, with a minimum of 2Mbps broadband speeds for all.
It will open up opportunities for more businesses and schools to get online, creating new jobs and fresh e-learning opportunities, boosting the local economy and educational attainment across the county.
Nottinghamshire County Council is investing £2.5 million in the project and successfully won a bid for an additional £2.7 million of European funding to bring high speed broadband to even more businesses. BDUK, the Government’s broadband delivery arm, is contributing £4.5 million to the scheme with a further £800,000 coming from Nottinghamshire Borough and District Councils. In total, 52,000 business premises and homes will benefit from the project.
The contract will be formally signed at County Hall on Monday 12 August and follows an extensive and thorough procurement process. BT has agreed to contribute £9.3 million to the project.
BT will commence work on planning the roll-out of the new high speed cabling immediately, conducting site surveys to identify how to install thousands of kilometres of high speed fibre optic cable across the county. This detailed information will help to shape the roll-out upgrade plan for connecting homes and businesses, which is expected to start in spring next year.
Research has shown that within 15 years, fibre broadband could bolster the economy of a typical town by £143 million and create 225 new jobs, 140 new start-up businesses and 1,000 more homeworkers.
Bill Murphy, BT’s managing director for Next Generation Access, said: "This is exciting news for everyone who lives and works in Nottinghamshire. Superfast broadband will open the doors to countless business opportunities, boosting the rural economy and supporting thriving local communities.
“Deploying fibre broadband is a substantial challenge but a vital one which will help local businesses to be competitive and ensure they remain in the county. It can also play an important role in attracting more firms to the county, helping to create jobs for local people.”