FASTER broadband connections are to be offered to those in Lutterworth thanks to a Government scheme to get everyone up to speed.
Homes and businesses in remote areas of Leicestershire can now get a subsidised satellite broadband connection if they are currently unable to get an affordable service of at least two megabytes per second.
The scheme, organised by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, has now been rolled out nationally to an estimated 300,000 properties across the UK as part of the Government’s commitment to make sure every home and business in the UK can access reasonable internet speeds.
The current roll-out of super-fast broadband is on track to deliver coverage to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017 – but the Government wants to boost internet access to those in remote areas with the slow connections.
Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: “Our rollout of superfast broadband has already reached an additional 3.5 million homes and businesses who would otherwise have missed out. We are making tremendous progress, but it’s a massive engineering project and won’t happen overnight.
“This scheme offers immediate assistance to those homes and businesses in Leicestershire with the slowest speeds and is all part of our transformation of the UK’s digital landscape.”
Users will be responsible for paying any remaining costs, including installations, choosing the features of the satellite broadband service they require, and paying the monthly subscription for the service they selected.
Tom Purnell, Assistant Chief Executive of Leicestershire County Council, said: “The Superfast Leicestershire partnership with BT continues to provide access to superfast broadband to residents and businesses across the county. We expect to ensure 95 per cent of Leicestershire premises can access superfast speeds by the end of 2017.
“This satellite scheme is an option for people who struggle with the slowest speeds or are not due to be connected soon as part of our Superfast Leicestershire deployment for some time. It could significantly help ensure a minimum, reliable connection for those living and working in our most rural communities.”
Visit www.superfastleicestershire.org.uk basic-broadband for more information on the operation of the scheme in Leicestershire.
