Four million premises now have 'access to superfast broadband'

According to the latest government figures, broadband rollout has meant superfast speeds are available to over four million households and businesses.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s latest indicator shows that just over four million could access fibre broadband by the end of June. This in part, was thanks to the Broadband Delivery UK project (BDUK) which aims to provide superfast broadband to areas that cannot be included in other rollouts, particularly areas that are difficult to reach.

Funding for the BDUK project has reached £492 million and the number of properties reached per million is just over 8,000 premises. The aim of the project is to reach 95 per cent of the UK by the end of December 2017.

The other five per cent will be reached via grants or via communities coming together and matching BT’s infrastructure costs. So far, one town as taken advantage of this offer. Ditcham in Hampshire has collected nearly £17,500 together which will allow the town to have superfast broadband.

Other options include the usage of satellite for the last five per cent. However, one chief executive of satellite broadband provider said it was “pleasing” to see progress being made to reach the last five per cent of premises. Andrew Walwyn said: “In most countries where we operate it’s clear that progress could have been made far earlier, but has been stymied by incumbent large telecoms providers and, to an extent governments, by significantly overpromising the speed and scale of fibre deployment."

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