Shropshire Name First BDUK and BT Superfast Broadband Rollout Areas

The £24.6 million state aid supported Connecting Shropshire project, which aims to roll-out BT’s fibre broadband (FTTC/P) network to 93% of local premises by the end of Spring 2016 (excludes Telford & Wrekin), has today named the “first rural communities to benefit“.

According to the update, the first areas to go live with speeds of 24Mbps+ during early 2014 include: Montford Bridge, Montford, Bicton, Ford, Shrawardine, Pontesbury, Minsterley, the village of Albrighton and businesses in Harlescott (i.e. a total of 6,000 homes and businesses during phase one). Another roll-out update will be published in January 2014.

Overall 62,000 extra premises will eventually benefit from the upgrade work once complete by spring 2016 and BTOpenreach expects to install an estimated 1,300 kilometres of optical fibre with 350 new street cabinets.