Bristol gains £11.3 million for broadband investment

Detailed plans have been set out on how Bristol will become a world-class super-connected city by 2015.

The Culture Secretary Maria Miller has confirmed that Bristol will gain £11.3 million from the Urban Broadband Fund, one of ten cities to gain a share of the fund.

The city council’s cabinet will confirm next week its support for the plans to invest the £11.3 million in world-class digital infrastructure. The main proposals include:

- Superfast Broadband - this investment will ensure that at least 90% of the city can access superfast broadband. The city council will engage a telecommunications provider to infill areas across the city that are currently unable to access superfast broadband - approximately 10,000 premises currently fall into this category.

- The Next Generation (Gigabit) Network - the project will also engage a telecommunications provider to roll out Ultrafast broadband to business, social housing, university halls and residents across a central zone of the city.

- Wi-Fi - the council will engage a telecommunications provider to deliver Wi-FI to the 54 defined business growth areas across the city.

The funding will also include a capital contribution towards a Growth Hub - a physical space in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone that can act as a shop window for superfast broadband.

Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Guy Poultney said: “Today’s announcement from Government is excellent news and reinforces Bristol’s role as a leading digital city. Securing ultrafast broadband and extending Wi-Fi in the city is key to maintaining and growing our world-class knowledge economy.

“This funding will help us ensure that Bristol’s businesses and communities benefit from the very best digital infrastructure, to put us on a level with world-class connected cities such as Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo.”