The port city of Plymouth (Devon) has successfully campaigned for the UK government to take another look at boosting local broadband access. The efforts follow on from the city's failure to secure an Enterprise Zone (EZ), which would have helped grow business through simplified planning rules, access to superfast internet (ISP) connections and tax breaks.

According to This is Plymouth, the governments Planning Minister, Greg Clark, will now recommend that the Secretary of State (DCMS), Jeremy Hunt MP, direct his Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) office to work more closely with the city and investigate new options for improving its broadband connectivity.


The city is now widely expected to begin development of its own unique proposal for an 'Enterprise Area', which the government has tentatively pledged to support. At this stage it's still too early to know how this will all work out.

The BDUK office announced in August 2011 that both Devon and Somerset would share £31,320,000 to help rural areas access faster broadband services (here). This sum is unlikely to be increased, if needed, anytime soon (after 2015 perhaps).