UPD 6 New Wiltshire UK Communities Named for BDUK Broadband Rollout

The Wiltshire Council in England has today announced six additional communities that can expect to receive superfast fibre optic based broadband (FTTC/P) as part of their joint £35.6 Million partnership project with neighbouring South Gloucestershire Council and BT.

The scheme has already revealed that Royal Wootton Bassett, Purton, Alderbury and Downton will be the first areas to benefit by spring 2014 (here). It’s now known that Kington Langley, Castle Combe, Broad Town, Broad Hinton and Whiteparish will follow them by summer 2014, which also includes the expanding of coverage in Salisbury (most of which already has access to FTTC via BT’s separate £2.5bn commercial UK roll-out).

John Thomson, Wiltshire Council Member for Broadband, said:

“I am delighted that more communities in Wiltshire will soon be able to reap the benefits of having access to superfast broadband for the very first time. This project will have a hugely positive impact on those rural communities but also provide a big boost to local businesses and allow them to operate as effectively as possible. I am looking forward to announcing more Wiltshire communities who will benefit from this project in the near future.”

Overall the project aims to make BT’s FTTC/P services available to more than 10,000 Wiltshire homes and businesses by June 2014 and for 91% of premises in the county to have access to superfast speeds (25Mbps+) by the end of March 2016. The scheme expects to install nearly 1,500 kilometres of fibre optic cabling and over 300 new street cabinets.

NOTE: South Gloucestershire expects 94% of its own local premises to be within reach of a 25Mbps+ capable FTTC/P connection from BT’s infrastructure by the end of March 2015.

UPDATE 10:13pm

An update on South Gloucestershire’s broadband page now also lists Bradley Stoke, Barrs Court, Lower Almondsbury, Olveston, Rudgeway, Thornbury, Tockington, Tormarton and Warmley as joining the FTTC/P club by summer 2014.