The South Glos Post

Council plans to promote access to high-speed broadband throughout South Gloucestershire have taken a crucial step forward with the launch of a new exercise to confirm the areas where internet access should be improved.

The council has teamed up with Wiltshire and Swindon councils to progress its plans and the three councils will be asking broadband suppliers to confirm areas where connection speeds are low and unlikely to be improved by planned commercial investment within the next three years.

Once these so-called ‘white’ areas have been confirmed, the three councils will invite companies to bid to upgrade the areas’ broadband infrastructure, supported by local and central government funding via the national Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) scheme.

South Gloucestershire has been allocated £710,000 through BDUK to support the project, and the council’s Cabinet will be meeting on Monday to make recommendations to allocate £2.2m to the project.

It is hoped that a contract can be awarded to a successful supplier by this summer, with work to upgrade the infrastructure beginning in winter 2012.

More: Consultation is a vital step towards start of upgrade »

Source: South Gloucestershire Council

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Every home and business in South Gloucestershire will potentially be able to access broadband by 2015 with nine out of ten enjoying superfast speeds of up to 24 Mbps, thanks to nearly £3m of public investment.

South Gloucestershire Council has drawn up plans to invest £2.2m of its own money in providing broadband infrastructure capable of delivering much faster speeds, which will be added to a £710k grant from the government body Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK).

In line with the ambition in South Gloucestershire’s recently refreshed Sustainable Community Strategy to improve access to broadband for all, this project’s aim is to achieve access to a minimum of 2 Mbps broadband speeds for all premises in South Gloucestershire by 2015 and superfast broadband to be available to a target of 90 per cent of premises – also by 2015.

Work to install the superfast broadband infrastructure could start as early as this December because the new tie-up with Wiltshire Council – confirmed earlier this month by South Gloucestershire’s Conservative Cabinet – ensures that the district’s broadband project is one of the most advanced in the country.

It’s estimated that around 82 per cent of premises in South Gloucestershire will be able to benefit from improved broadband infrastructure funded by broadband suppliers themselves, resulting in the availability of a faster and more reliable service by 2014.

The remaining 18 per cent (approx 21,000) of premises – where there are currently no plans by broadband suppliers to invest – will benefit from this public investment in order to make the provision of faster broadband commercially viable.

More: Plan must be ratified by Full Council on 22nd February »

Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council

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Council plans to boost access to high-speed broadband in partnership with Wiltshire and Swindon councils have been officially approved by South Gloucestershire’s Cabinet.

The partnership, first revealed last month, means that South Gloucestershire will now be among the first councils in the country to begin signing up a commercial provider under the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) scheme.

The BDUK scheme uses central and local government funding to ensure that areas not usually attractive to commercial providers can access the economic and social benefits of high-speed broadband.

South Gloucestershire Council Executive Member for Corporate Affairs John Goddard said:

“Residents and businesses will be encouraged to know that the council is forging ahead with plans to boost access to these vital technologies across South Gloucestershire.”

“High-speed broadband brings a wealth of economic and social benefits for communities and businesses alike and the partnership with Wiltshire and Swindon means these benefits will be available even sooner than first hoped.”

More than 3,000 respond to council’s broadband survey »

Source: South Gloucestershire Council

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Council plans to boost access to high-speed broadband across areas of South Gloucestershire have moved into the fast lane, thanks to a new partnership announced today.

South Gloucestershire will be joining Wiltshire and Swindon councils as they begin preparations to sign up a commercial broadband infrastructure provider under the government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) project.

The BDUK scheme uses central and local government funding to ensure that areas not usually attractive to commercial providers can access the economic and social benefits of high-speed broadband.

And while South Gloucestershire’s BDUK plans were already well-advanced, the tie-up with Wiltshire and Swindon’s project – the most advanced in the country – means the district will now be among the first in the country to begin the process of signing up a commercial provider.

Welcoming the news, South Gloucestershire Council Executive Member for Corporate Affairs John Goddard said:

“This is extremely exciting news for the council and for all the businesses and households in the district who to date have been unable to get high-speed broadband from a commercial provider.”

More: Residents and businesses promised superfast broadband by 2013 »

Source: South Gloucestershire Council