Sir Edward Garnier, MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, has received the following update from Superfast Leicestershire Broadband.
From: CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Circulated to: ALL LEICESTERSHIRE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
Date: 1st July 2016
Purpose
1. The purpose of this update is to provide a summary of progress for the Superfast
Leicestershire broadband programme (a partnership between Leicestershire County Council, district councils, BT and the Government).
2. You are welcome to share this update. It complements updates on the Superfast
Leicestershire website and briefings we issue to County Councillors and district
councils.
Update
3. The majority of the work taking place within contract one is now complete. We have delivered ahead of schedule and within budget and achieved the following:
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- Over 200 miles of new fibre currently rolled out
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- 71 exchange areas now live
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- 307 fibre cabinets enabled
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- 65,000 additional Leicestershire homes and businesses are now able to connect to fibre broadband thanks to the Superfast Leicestershire rollout
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235 towns and villages have gained access to fibre broadband thanks to Superfast Leicestershire. Many will see further improvements through Contract two.
This increases superfast coverage from 81% to 92%, and we remain on target to reach 96% by the end of 2017.
Our take-up rate is increasing all the time. We remain on track to reach 30% and beyond by the end of 2016.The programme has been so successful and so BT has committed £2 million to re-invest back into fibre broadband in Leicestershire to extend coverage, even further into the hardest to reach areas.
4. Work is already underway to deliver the second part of the contract – commonly
known as the Superfast Extension Programme
There is where we are to date with the work taking place in contract two;
• Around 100 surveys have been completed to date
• 19 cabinets are already live and receiving orders, serving around 1,800 properties – at
least one in every district (see appendix)
• Survey work completed on the first 60 miles of new fibre cabling
• Over 400 structures planned, most of which are green roadside fibre cabinets.
However, some will be new technologies not previous used, such as Fibre to the
Premise and Fibre to the Remote Node.
• Average of more than 6 new cabinets a month in Contract 2 so far, which is set to
increase over the coming months
5. Openreach, BT’s local network business, has experienced some difficult engineering
challenges in some areas that could not have been predicted. Work is currently being
cheduled in Thrussington and Narborough and we hope to have good news in the
coming weeks.
6. Did you know it’s possible to check progress by postcode? Simply visit
www.superfastleicestershire.org.uk/when-an-where/. The interactive map is updated
regularly. Weekly updates are also made to the news section of the website to
announce new cabinets as they go live.
Business Update
7. We have supported an ESIF –European Structural Investment Fund bid for digital
business support in partnership led by the East Midlands Chamber (EMC). This will
extend digital business support activity and boost take-up. It will also include
technology grants and connection vouchers. The final application has been submitted
and we are awaiting the outcome with delivery due to commence later in the year.
Community Engagement Activity
8. We are currently a partner in an ESIF funding bid in conjunction with Leicestershire
County Council Library service under the theme “Financial and Digital Inclusion”
which will boost our Digital Champion Programme to deliver support to more people
especially those accessing Universal Credit.
9. The county council has launched a satellite scheme that can provide a basic
broadband package to residents in areas that currently receive less than 2Mbps.
Please direct any potential applicants to the following site – where those interested
will need to register and obtain a voucher code which can be spent with a range of
suppliers http://www.superfastleicestershire.org.uk/register-for-notifications/the-
final-5/basic-broadband/
10. We are still attending a number of residents meetings, including at Grimston, to
address issues of speed and availability. We are also developing an interactive cube,
which will help primary school children understand how fibre travels from an
exchange, via a roadside cabinet, before ending up in the home. This will be used
across the county to raise awareness of the advantages that Superfast Broadband can
achieve.
11. Holwell, a village to the north of Melton Mowbray hosted our first Digital Party on
19th May to celebrate the arrival of fibre broadband in the village. The event was
organised by the village Digital Champion and was held in conjunction with a Digital
Skills workshop. Representatives from Leicestershire County Council and BT
attended.