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Articles for Category Tag - Building Digital UK

UPD Deadline for Final £20m UK Rural Community Broadband Fund Extended

20th May, 2013 (0 Comments)

The deadline for a final round of bidding on the government’s £20 million Rural Community Broadband Fund (RCBF), which aims to help rural farmers, homes and businesses benefit from faster internet connectivity, has been extended for another three weeks.

Europe Clears £51m Superfast Broadband BDUK Rollout in Cumbria UK

20th May, 2013 (2 Comments)

The European Commission’s (EC) competition authority has officially granted Major Projects Approval to the £50.8m state aid supported Connecting Cumbria project in North West England, which aims to roll-out BT’s superfast broadband (FTTC/P) services to over 93% of the county by the end of 2015. Oh and the speed target is now 240Mbps? Oops.

BT Adjusts PIA to Meet Latest BDUK and EU State Aid Broadband Rules

17th May, 2013 (14 Comments)

BTOpenreach has launched a new “Plus” variant of its Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product, which allows rival ISPs access to use BT’s underground cable ducts and telegraph poles. The updated solution has been designed to meet the latest EU rules governing the use of state aid to improve UK broadband infrastructure.

Ofcom State 95.3% of UK Can Get Standard Broadband of At Least 2Mbps

16th May, 2013 (18 Comments)

The communications regulator has today published a new report that outlines the availability of different communications services across the United Kingdom. In particular it finds that “standard broadband” services (i.e. HEADLINE speeds of at least 2Mbps) are now available to 95.3% of households and superfast (30Mbps+) to 67.9% .

UK Government Takes All Credit for Virgin Media and BT Broadband Efforts

16th May, 2013 (11 Comments)

A new progress update from the government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has slyly taken all the credit for the private sectors own commercially funded efforts to improve superfast broadband access around the United Kingdom.

UPD West Sussex UK Sign £20.1m BDUK Contract for BT Superfast Broadband

15th May, 2013 (6 Comments)

The West Sussex County Council (WSCC) in southern England has today signed a new £20.1 million state aid supported contract with BT that will aim to make superfast broadband (25Mbps+) ISP connections available to 98% of local premises by the “start” of Spring 2016 (the rest will get at least 2Mbps).

UPD Point Topic Post Goldmine of Data for UK Broadband Speed and Coverage

14th May, 2013 (8 Comments)

Telecoms analyst Point Topic has today released a veritable treasure trove of useful information by making their full local authority broadband speeds and coverage database available to non-subscribers, which allows you to compare the quality of internet access in your area with the rest of the United Kingdom.

UPD £150m Contract to Boost UK Mobile Broadband Coverage Won by Arqiva

13th May, 2013 (3 Comments)

A contract for the £150 million Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP), which was established as part of the 4G auction process to help build new mobile masts for those who live in areas of poor or non-existent mobile coverage, has been won by Arqiva.

UK Labour Party Pledge £75m to Boost Rural Superfast Broadband

13th May, 2013 (0 Comments)

The British Labour Party appears to have begun its early campaigning for the next general election in 2015 by proposing that £75 million from the floundering £150 million “super-connected cities” (Urban Broadband Fund) programme be diverted to help connect those in most need (i.e. the last 10% of neglected rural areas).

UPDATE2 UK Accuses EU of Delaying Urban Broadband Funding Approval

9th May, 2013 (4 Comments)

The Project Director for the government’s £150m Urban Broadband Fund (UBF), which aims to help expand the coverage of “ultra-fast” broadband (80-100Mbps+) and “high speed” public wifi services into neglected areas, has blamed Brussels for once again delaying funding approvals and forcing selected cities to “urgently find a Plan B“.

Northern Ireland Plough GBP5m Into Last Few Rural Broadband Notspots

8th May, 2013 (2 Comments)

The Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) has announced plans to invest a further £5 million to help plug the regions last remaining broadband “not spots” in remote rural areas by supporting new fixed line internet connectivity solutions from “third party companies“.

Lancashire UK Firms Get Free Seminars On Benefitting from Fast Broadband

30th April, 2013 (4 Comments)

The state aid supported Superfast Lancashire project, which aims to make BT’s superfast broadband (FTTC/P) services available to 97% of local premises by the end of 2014 2015 (here), has begun offering free seminars that will teach businesses how to get the most out of the new internet access technologies.

BT Sign £28.5 Million Deal to Blanket Cheshire UK with Superfast Broadband

29th April, 2013 (5 Comments)

BT has today signed a new deal worth £28.5 million with four Cheshire councils (England), which will make its superfast broadband (FTTC and FTTP) ISP services available to “around” 96% of homes and businesses (over 400,000 premises) across Cheshire, Halton and Warrington by the end of 2016.

PAC Report Casts Doubt Over Broadband and Other UK Infrastructure Projects

29th April, 2013 (4 Comments)

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is appointed by the House of Commons to examine public expenditure, has criticised the government’s £310bn National Infrastructure Plan (NIP) for being a “list of projects” that lacks a “real plan with a strategic vision and clear priorities“.

UPD BT Sign £24m BDUK Deal to Boost Superfast Broadband in Durham UK

26th April, 2013 (2 Comments)

The Durham County Council (DCC) in North East England (UK) has today signed a new state aid supported £24 million deal with BT that will see “high-speed fibre broadband” (FTTC and FTTP) services being rolled out to “around” 94% of local premises by the end of 2016.

UK Government Denies Superfast Broadband Targets Slipping to 2016

22nd April, 2013 (12 Comments)

The government’s Communications Minister, Ed Vaizey, has told the House of Commons that he still hopes 90% of the United Kingdom will have access to a superfast broadband (25Mbps+) ISP by the end of 2015. But he admitted that they were still “actively looking at the options” for a post-2015 strategy.

BT UK Sign GBP18.9 Million Superfast Broadband Deal for Northumberland

17th April, 2013 (3 Comments)

The Northumberland County Council (NCC) in North East England has today signed a new £18.9 million state aid supported deal with BT that will make superfast broadband (25Mbps+) speeds available to 91% of premises by early 2016 (95% will be covered by the fibre optic based FTTC network but some won’t be “superfast“).