Superfast FTTC broadband deal extended in Yorkshire

The Superfast North Yorkshire (SFNY) project has awarded its £20.5 million Phase 3 contract to Openreach, which will allow FTTC and FTTP superfast broadband to be extended to a further 14,000 homes and businesses.

In total, the new phase of the contract will ensure FTTC superfast broadband coverage for 94 per cent of buildings, many of which gained access to better internet as part of Phase 1 and 2 of the Government's Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) scheme. In total, the first two phases are believed to have provided superfast broadband to an additional 145,798 buildings.

The new phase of the scheme will be partly funded using £12.18 million donated by the council, while BDUK will donate £7.32 million and £1 million will come from the European Regional Development Fund.

Commenting on Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Broadband, stated that the result of Phase 3 will significantly increase the quality of broadband provided across the area, particularly in some of the more remote areas of North Yorkshire.

He said: "It is very good news indeed for those residents who have been waiting patiently for SFNY to get to them and their patience is likely to be rewarded with some of the best broadband quality in the country."

County Council Leader Carl Les added: "Phase three of SFNY’s broadband expansion programme represents a fantastic boost to the economy of the county and will give many more small rural firms the ability to compete and to grow their businesses."

Currently, no deadline has been provided by any of the organisations involved, although it has been revealed that a detailed broadband rollout plan will be published in April 2018 with completion expected to take place either towards the end of 2019 or early 2020.