Suffolk UK Reveals First Areas to Benefit from £40m Broadband Upgrade

The Suffolk County Council has named the first locations that will benefit from its state aid supported project to make BT’s superfast fibre broadband (25Mbps+) services available to 85-90% of local premises by the end of 2015.

Suffolk officially signed its Local Broadband Plan (LBP) contract with BT at the end of last year (here). But, until last week, there had been precious little news about its progress. Now a new website has been launched to support the scheme (http://www.betterbroadbandsuffolk.com), which reveals which areas are likely to benefit first.

The entire parish area is colour-coded according to when Better Broadband will start to arrive.

According to the new information, the first areas to benefit by 2014 will be Stradbroke, Fressingfield, Weybread, Laxfield, Palgrave, Mendham, Mendlesham, Debenham, Monk Soham, Kenton, Tannington, Badingham, Denham, Cotton, Finningham, Wickham Skeith, Thwaite, Wetheringsett-cum-Brockford and Mickfield.

Sadly locals in Thornham Magna, Regrave, Hopton and Thelnetham will probably have to wait until 2015 to see their internet access improved.

Mark Bee, Suffolk County Council’s Leader, said (Press Release):

“Initial planning and survey work is well underway and we’re now heading into the delivery phase of the Better Broadband for Suffolk programme. So I’m delighted to be able to share with people more details about when and where faster broadband will be rolled out.

By the end of 2015, Suffolk County Council is committed to ensuring that every property in Suffolk will have access to broadband speeds of at least 2Mbps and 85% of homes and businesses will be able to get speeds of 24Mbps or above. That’s something we are incredibly proud to be making happen.

The Better Broadband for Suffolk programme was set up to improve broadband access for everyone. Things are really starting to happen now.”

More specific details are expected to surface in the near future. Meanwhile BT expects to install more than 300 new street side cabinets to help support its deployment of up to 80Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) and 330Mbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology in the area.