Lancashire UK Confirm Final Spring 2014 Superfast Broadband Rollout Areas

The Superfast Lancashire project in England has announced a finalized list of the next 15 communities to receive access to BT’s “high-speed fibre broadband” (FTTC/P) network under the state aid supported scheme, which intends to make the service available to 97% of local premises by the end of 2015.

The update expands upon a preliminary list (here) that was released earlier last month, which also covers the period running between April and June 2014. Once complete this spring phase will have helped an additional 28,000 homes and businesses to be within reach of the service.

Lancashire’s Spring Rollout (June 2014)

* Belmont village near Blackburn;
* Eccleston, Croston and Mawdesley in Chorley;
* White Hills Business Park in Fylde;
* Barnoldswick in Pendle;
* Bolton by Bowland, West Bradford and Ribchester in Ribble Valley;
* Shawforth and Whitworth in Rossendale;
* Knott End, Hambleton, St Michaels and Preesall in Wyre.

The scheme also confirmed that it had already just extended fibre broadband coverage in parts of the North Shore area of Blackpool, Hest Bank, Freckleton, Blackburn and Carnforth. Overall around 480,000 homes and businesses across Lancashire are now able to access BT’s new service and once complete the network should be available to a grand total of 655,000 premises.

BT is contributing £30m to the project whilst £10.8m will come from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), £16.5m from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and £5.2m from local councils (£4.7m from LCC, £300,000 from Blackburn with Darwen Council and £230,000 from Blackpool Council).

It’s also worth mentioning B4RN’s separate deployment of FTTP/H in the Lune Valley area, which is also contributing to improve connectivity in the county.