In order to expand fibre broadband coverage, we’ve secured two new funding streams which will help us to connect even more premises in Cheshire.
- We have been allocated £2.12m from the government’s Broadband Delivery UK’s (BDUK) Superfast Extension Programme, also known as SEP.
- We’ve also been awarded £643,000 of BDUK funding to reach additional rural premises in some specific areas.
- Alongside this, we have funding from the four local authorities in the Connecting Cheshire Partnership (Cheshire East, Cheshire West & Chester, Halton Borough and Warrington Borough Councils).
The combined £5.7m budget that we have will help us to increase our coverage of Cheshire from the planned 96% up to around 99% by 2017.
Update - December 2014:
Another 10,000 Cheshire homes and businesses are expected to have access to fibre broadband by summer 2017 as a result of the £6m project signed between four Cheshire councils and BT for a second phase “Superfast Extension Programme”.
It was revealed at a signing ceremony that BT had won the contract to extend the superfast network across the county.
Work will start on the planning of the additional network in autumn 2015. The money has come from Government and Cheshire councils and it will be supplemented by funding from BT.*
And, in part of this second phase, more than £600,000 from the Rural Community Broadband Fund will be targeted at especially difficult places to reach in Cheshire.
Further announcements about the areas with additional coverage will be made during 2015 once the network planning and design phase has been completed by BT.
Update - October 2014:
Preparation work has already begun on our Superfast Extension Programme. After a month-long consultation, which started in August, we have now issued an ‘Invitation to Tender’ document, which follows a national process that is set out by the Government to find a supplier. It is up to the bidders now to respond and tell us which premises they can reach and how they plan to do so within our budget. We will then evaluate this information and agree the specific coverage that our SEP will provide. We hope to conclude the procurement in early 2015. This will be followed by a period of mobilisation and then a planning and survey phase. Until this point we will be unable to clarify the exact coverage.
The Superfast Extension Programme will help Connecting Cheshire in its commitment to bringing fibre broadband to as much of the county as is possible and we will keep you informed of our progress via our news page and via our e-newsletter. To receive this, you need to register your interest.