BT Openreach has recently announced that work to put in place superfast broadband will commence in 2012. This will enable residents and businesses in the areas of Ryde, Cowes, Newport and Ventnor to receive superfast broadband connection speeds of more than 20mbps. It is hoped that investment in other large towns across the Island such as Sandown and Shanklin will follow. However, this would still leave large parts of the Island unable to access superfast broadband.
For those areas of the Island where commercial investment is unlikely to take place, mainly due to the costs of putting in place the infrastructure compared to the likely uptake and return on investment. Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) has recently informed the council that central government have set aside £3 million to bring superfast broadband to those areas. The government funding is being provided to ensure at least 90% of the Island can access superfast broadband by 2015.
The council recognises that there will be some more technically difficult/costly/remote parts of the network which may not be reached via this project, and as such is supporting a further bid for funds from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) by Natural Enterprise. You can find out more about the Natural Enterprise project by clicking here.
The council has identified the capital funds needed to match the BDUK allocation and is in the process of completing its Broadband Plan. This plan will set out the benefits of superfast broadband to Island businesses public services and the community. A vital part of the successful broadband plan is the collection of evidence of demand for improved broadband from within communities. It is important that if you’re an island business or resident, that you get in contact via one of the methods below. This will help the council build a strong case to achieve a successful bid for the £3 million, otherwise the funding could be at risk. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to register their interest in superfast broadband by clicking here. The Broadband Plan is due to be submitted by the end of February 2012, and if accepted by government, the council will begin implementation via a procurement process to contract a commercial partner to deliver the project. It is anticipated that roll out could commence in early 2013.