BDUK Brings Superfast Broadband to 3.5 Million Extra UK Premises

The Government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme, which is primarily working with BT to make fixed line superfast broadband (24Mbps+) services available to 95% of the United Kingdom by 2017/18, has officially helped to cover an additional 3.5 million homes and businesses.

The latest update comes only a little over one month since the last Q3 2015 update in mid-November 2015 when the figure stood at 3,311,843 extra premises (here), but since then this has jumped to 3.5 million and that means the progress on the way to the first 90% UK coverage goal (4.2 million additional premises passed) is heading in the right direction for spring 2016.

However achieving the 95% target, which means a much greater focus on rural areas that will take longer the tackle, could be more of a challenge and may yet slip into 2018. Mind you the first 90% UK coverage target was originally supposed to be completed in 2015 and not 2016 as it is now.

Ed Vaizey, Digital Economy Minister, said:

“Our rollout of superfast broadband is one of the biggest and most challenging infrastructure projects undertaken by Government in recent times. We need to keep the UK moving with the demands of the digital age, and our tremendous progress throughout 2015 has equipped businesses with the tools they need to grow, and homes with the technology to be part of our online global community.”

It’s Christmas weekend so we’re not going to do a more detailed write-up, although our November article already covered everything in more detail.