County in third wave for ultrafast broadband links

INVESTMENT IN RURAL AREAS ANNOUNCED BY GOVERNMENT

LEICESTERSHIRE is set to be in the third wave of areas to get government support for superfast internet.

Almost two million more premises across rural parts of England will be plugged into superfast internet as part of the government’s £5 billion gigabit upgrade plan.

The first areas to benefit from the upgrade – a key part of the Prime Minister’s levelling up agenda – were revealed in March, including Cornwall, Cumbria, Essex and Northumberland.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden yesterday announced almost half a million premises in Shropshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Worcestershire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will be among those to benefit, with work due to start in 2022.

Work will then be undertaken in counties including Leicestershire.

Boris Johnson has set a target of achieving at least 85 per cent gigabit-capable UK coverage by 2025.

The speeds will allow users to download a high-definition movie in less than 30 seconds and lay the foundations for next generation tech such as 8K-quality video streaming, according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Mr Dowden said: “Project Gigabit is our national mission to level up rural areas by giving them the fastest internet speeds on the market.

“Millions more rural homes and businesses will now be lifted out of the digital slow lane thanks to our mammoth £5 billion investment and one of the quickest rollouts in Europe.

“This broadband revolution will create jobs, power up businesses and allow everyone to access vital services at lightning fast speed, helping us build back better from the pandemic.”

However, Labour’s shadow culture secretary, Jo Stevens, said: “The Conservatives are keeping the UK in the digital slow lane with their broken promises on the gigabit rollout, shifting their targets again and again.

“Conservative dither and delay is harming our digital infrastructure and our economy.”

Rocio Concha, of consumer choice group Which?, said: “It’s good to see the government prioritise more rural areas.

“The government should clarify when these communities will actually be able to benefit from these connections, as consumers are relying on the internet more than ever and improving connectivity will play an important role as we recover from the pandemic.”