拢250m boost taking Superfast Broadband further and faster
Local projects around the UK will now receive additional funding from a 拢250 million pot, with the hardest to reach locations amongst those who stand to benefit most.
An extra 拢250 million of government money for superfast broadband will help business start-ups and job creation in some of the UK鈥檚 hardest to reach rural areas, Culture Secretary Maria Miller, announced today. The nationwide rollout is a key part of the government鈥檚 long-term economic plan to secure Britain鈥檚 future by providing access to superfast broadband, and in allocating funding the government has worked to ensure as many families and businesses as possible benefit.
Local projects around the UK will now receive additional funding from a 拢250 million pot, with the hardest to reach locations amongst those who stand to benefit most. This funding is in addition to the 拢1.2 billion already invested by central and local government and will ensure 95% of UK homes and businesses have access to superfast broadband by 2017.
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Value for money
The current rural programme will deliver returns of 拢20 for every 拢1 invested, representing tremendous value for money. As well as improvements in the productivity of broadband enabled firms, faster broadband will create an additional 56,000 jobs in the UK by 2024, and the work involved in the current roll out is expected to provide a 拢1.5 billion boost to local economies, with approximately 35,000 job-years created or safeguarded over the period to 2016. By 2024, the government鈥檚 current investments in faster broadband will be boosting rural economies by 拢275 million every month, or around 拢9 million every day.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller said:
Superfast Broadband will benefit everyone - whether they need it for work, to do homework or simply to download music or films. We want to make sure that Britain is one of the best countries in the world for broadband, and the extra 拢250m we are investing will help ensure communities around the UK are not left behind in the digital slow lane.
Defra Rural Affairs Minister Dan Rogerson said:
Nothing will have a more spectacular effect on the rural economy than the roll out of superfast broadband. A decent broadband connection has the power to transform people鈥檚 lives, creating more rural jobs and a fairer society.