UPDATE Hampshire UK Starting to Consider Full Superfast Broadband Cover

The leader of Hampshire County Council (HCC) has called upon councilors to begin initial work on a new policy that could extend the availability of fixed line superfast broadband (25Mbps+) services well beyond the current 90% coverage target for the end of 2015.

At present HCC and BT are spending £13.8m on a joint state aid supported project to extend the reach of superfast broadband, which was first signed in March 2013 (here). But Cllr Roy Perry has now said that they could soon go beyond even the government’s latest target for 95% coverage by 2017 (here).

Perry told a full council meeting in Winchester last week (here) that the current project was the “most significant the county council would make in its lifetime” and described it as being a “lasting but one-off investment that would benefit all residents“. Sadly it’s still too early to know what the council might come up with in the future and how far beyond 95% they could go.

It’s worth pointing out that Europe’s Digital Agenda also aims for everybody to be within reach of a 30Mbps+ capable broadband connection by 2020 and so at some point even the government’s latest 95% target may need some adjustment.

UPDATE 23rd July 2013

More details suggest that the council will find extra money from recent savings to push the coverage figure to 98%, which is nicely above the government’s own 95% target.