Satellite scheme brings fast broadband to rural Hampshire

The struggle to bring superfast broadband to areas of rural Hampshire could be coming to an end as the government pledges to subsidise connections for some homes and businesses.

Anyone struggling to access affordable speeds of at least 2Mbps can apply for a discount satellite package, the Hampshire Chronicle reports.

The new scheme will bring the government closer to its target of rolling out superfast broadband to almost everyone in Britain by 2017.

With 90 per cent of Hampshire residents now connected to superfast broadband, Hampshire County Council has made considerable progress, but it admits that connecting rural areas will take a lot longer.

The government’s satellite scheme aims to tackle this problem, offering even the most remote areas speeds of at least 2Mbps until they gain access to commercial broadband schemes or businesses find the right leased line supplier.

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 Hampshire with the slowest speeds and is all part of our transformation of the UK’s digital landscape.”

The satellite package, which is worth around £350, will require customers to enter a contract for at least 12 months, pay for any remaining installation and commissioning costs and choose a service.

Almost all businesses today need reliable, superfast broadband, which is not always available depending on location. Often getting a dedicated leased line for the premises can be the best solution. hSo provides managed networks designed for business - to get an instant cost for a leased line at your location, visit our online leased line price checker.

(Image: Kings Sutton)