The South Glos Post

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

Residents and local businesses are being encouraged to show their support for faster broadband in South Gloucestershire.

The council is urging everyone who wants a high-speed connection to complete an online survey to help demonstrate market demand in the district.

The information gathered will be used as evidence to encourage commercial operators to invest in the local broadband infrastructure as part of a scheme being prepared by the council.

Under the plans, central government and council funding will be awarded to a contractor to install high-speed broadband in areas that would not normally be attractive to commercial suppliers.

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

“Ensuring our residents and businesses have access to a fast, reliable and affordable broadband service is a priority for South Gloucestershire Council. Better broadband provision will allow local businesses to prosper and will improve the quality of life for residents.”

“This is a complex project involving a wide number of partners and council officers have already carried out a great deal of preparatory work on South Gloucestershire’s bid for funding during the last year.”

“The more businesses and local people that take part in the survey the stronger the case for investment and the more attractive the contract will be for potential commercial suppliers. I urge everyone with a desire for faster broadband to make their wishes known.”

More: Plans for South Glos are at "an advanced stage" says council »

The Government has announced today (16th August) that the West of England (South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset and Bristol) has been allocated £1.4 million as part of a £530 million nationwide funding programme to deliver the Government’s ambition to create the best superfast broadband network in Europe.

The private sector is due to take superfast broadband to around two-thirds of UK households and businesses. The government funding announced today is to help take broadband to the remaining third of properties, by making it viable for business to invest. It will ensure that everyone in the UK will have access to at least 2mbps, and for 90 per cent of homes and businesses to have access to superfast broadband (20mbps).

To ensure that the market can respond to deliver what is needed, BDUK has encouraged local authorities to group neighbouring areas together so that each procurement will be of a size and scale which is attractive to suppliers. South Gloucestershire Council has proactively worked with our neighbouring local authorities in the West of England to ensure that a viable plan which is large enough to attract interest, can be produced which will bring successful delivery in the county. BDUK have estimated that about 14% of the total premises in our area are eligible for investment through this allocation.

(more…)

A statement from South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) on the state of their relationship with Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), the government agency tasked with delivering fast broadband to the ‘final third’ of the country by 2015.

South Gloucestershire Council is committed to ensuring that all residents and businesses have access to fast, reliable and affordable broadband, and the social and economic benefits that it can bring.

The private sector broadband market will be providing superfast broadband to around two-thirds of communities over the next few years. However, it is essential that homes and businesses in areas in the remaining third of our communities are not left behind.

The government has set up a scheme to provide £530m of public sector funds to improve the broadband provision in these mostly rural communities. To ensure that South Gloucestershire is able to benefit from the scheme, the Council is working with BDUK (Broadband Delivery UK, who are responsible for allocating and distributing the £530m of public sector funding) to develop a local broadband plan setting out how those homes and businesses in the final third will benefit from improved broadband provision.

(more…)