£2.7 million broadband boost for Nottinghamshire

Those living in some of the most rural parts of Nottinghamshire are set to benefit from better broadband, after the council awarded a £2.7 million digital infrastructure contract to Openreach.

It means that more than 2,500 homes and businesses will benefit from the boost to fibre broadband network, with approximately £30 million having been invested in Nottinghamshire’s digital infrastructure since the start of the Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire (BBfN) scheme began in 2014.

Phase three of BBfN will see a further £2.7 million investment, including £1.3 million from Nottinghamshire County Council, the government’s BDUK broadband delivery programme and £1.4 million from Openreach, building on the 97.5 per cent of premises across the county that can already access faster broadband.

Reg Adair, deputy leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Our latest investment in the county’s digital infrastructure will see Nottinghamshire pushing towards 100 per cent broadband coverage, which is great news for residents, businesses and the local economy. More than 50 per cent of homes and businesses in the areas where we have rolled out our scheme have already signed up for faster broadband, which clearly shows demand is there. Broadband plays such a huge part in our lives these days, so good availability is one of the top priorities for people looking to buy a home, start a business or invest in an area. Nottinghamshire is already amongst the best areas for availability in the country and our on-going investment keeps us ahead of the rest.”

Steve Henderson, Openreach’s regional director for next generation access, said: “Our work in Nottinghamshire is making a huge impact throughout rural communities. We’ve already reached close to 74,000 premises through our work with the county council, and we’re looking forward to going even further with this new contract. We know it’s important for people to be connected to faster broadband, and Openreach’s expertise, as well as being able to provide residents with the choice of internet service providers, is good news all round for the people of Nottinghamshire.”