BUILDING ON BROADBAND INITIATIVES IS A POSITIVE STEP BUT THERE IS STILL SIGNIFICANT WORK TO BE DONE TO SUPPORT THE MILLIONS ACROSS THE UK WHO SUFFER FROM DIGITAL POVERTY .
INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Cabling
£ 488 million government plan to boost 218,00 rural homes and businesses connectivity
CityFibre , the UK ’ s largest independent full-fibre provider , has secured £ 318 million of government funding to deliver digital infrastructure while also making a private investment of £ 170 million , benefitting rural homes and businesses .
The company will deliver gigabit-capable infrastructure for around 218,000 homes and businesses in Norfolk , Suffolk and Hampshire who will be given access to lightning-fast broadband connection .
The funding comes as part of Project Gigabit , the government ’ s £ 5 billion mission to rollout gigabit-capable , reliable broadband across the UK providing individuals with the ability to bank online , conduct business , shop , communicate and stream entertainment .
Survey work will commence immediately which will build upon the gigabit coverage across the UK as it jumps to 76 %, up from 6 % at the start of 2019 , providing broadband services over a network capable of supporting speeds of up to 10Gbps .
Elizabeth Anderson , Interim CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance , commented : “ Government funding is essential to tackling digital exclusion , particularly in rural areas , and it is excellent to see the work with CityFibre continue to deliver a nationwide broadband rollout . Going without broadband has a detrimental impact on people ’ s daily lives , preventing them from accessing core services such as digital banking , online healthcare and education resources , so maintaining investment in these schemes is vital .
“ Ensuring affordable connectivity for those in need is one of the core missions recently set out by the DPA ’ s National Delivery Plan and it is important that affordability on a sustainable basis is considered alongside any broadband rollout to make it truly accessible .
“ Building on broadband initiatives is a positive step but there is still significant work to be done to support the millions across the UK who suffer from digital poverty , going without essential online services . Continued rollouts alongside digital skills training and access to devices must be at the forefront of government policy , businesses and communities to collectively tackle digital exclusion .”
Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure , Sir John Whittingdale , said : “ Access to lightningspeed broadband is key to the government ’ s plans for driving economic growth and levelling up communities . This investment of £ 318 million in government funding is a significant milestone in achieving that mission . “ Delivered through our flagship ‘ Project Gigabit ’ programme , 218,000 homes and businesses across Norfolk , Suffolk and Hampshire will benefit from a modern digital infrastructure , helping to power local communities and our plan to boost connectivity all over the UK .” p
BUILDING ON BROADBAND INITIATIVES IS A POSITIVE STEP BUT THERE IS STILL SIGNIFICANT WORK TO BE DONE TO SUPPORT THE MILLIONS ACROSS THE UK WHO SUFFER FROM DIGITAL POVERTY .
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