UPD BT Sign BDUK Broadband Deal for Oxfordshire and Worcestershire UK

BT has today signed two new state aid supported Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) contracts that will help to make their fibre broadband (FTTC/P) network available to 90% of Worcestershire premises by mid-2016 and bring superfast access (25Mbps+) to 90% of Oxfordshire by the end of 2015.

The £25 million programme in Oxfordshire is funded £10m from the council, £4m from the Government (BDUK) and £11m from BT (note: 60% of local homes and businesses are already within reach of BT’s commercial fibre optic based network). The County Council will also continue to work with BDUK and BT to secure additional funding for going beyond 90% coverage, although in the meantime the last 10% will have to make-do with speeds of at least 2Mbps.

Ed Vaizey, Communications Minister, said:

“This is tremendous news for Oxfordshire, with more than 64,000 homes and businesses due to receive all the benefits high speed broadband has to offer by the end of 2015. We are witnessing a historic transformation in the nation’s broadband and the work we are now doing will reinforce the UK’s position as a leading digital economy and act as a major driver of local jobs and national growth.”

BTOpenreach are expect to begin surveying locations around the county and analysing the best way to roll out the network “soon“, with the actual roll-out expected to commence in January 2014.

The Worcestershire Deal

Separately BT has also signed a £20.75 million deal to make “high-speed fibre broadband” available to 90% of Worcestershire homes and businesses by mid-2016 (note: we don’t currently know what proportion of that 90% will actually get “superfast” speeds).

The Worcestershire project, which will help to connect 55,000 premises, is funded by £8.5 million from the council, £3.35 million from the from the Government’s BDUK office and BT are also contributing £8.9 million.

Bill Murphy, BTs MD of Next Generation Access, said:

“This is fantastic news for the people of Worcestershire. Fibre broadband will bring the rest of the digital world right to the doorsteps of homes and businesses across the county. Ninety-six per cent of local businesses who responded to a recent County Council survey said faster broadband would help them grow their business in the next few years.

Faster broadband will also help to attract inward investment and boost the local economy. If local businesses thrive then everyone thrives – local businesses are the lifeblood of every community, creating jobs and stimulating growth.”

Sadly no information about BTOpenreach’s survey work or its intended timetable for the local rollout was included.

UPDATE 12:25pm

BT’s press officer Richard Knowles has confirmed that the 90% fibre broadband figure for Worcestershire does indeed reflect “superfast” speeds, which is good news. But it is becoming somewhat frustrating that “high-speed fibre broadband” can sometimes mean something different and thus we’re always having to ask.