'Super Switch on Day' connects more rural properties
'Super Switch on Day' connects more rural properties
An estimated 5,000 more homes and businesses in rural England have been connected to superfast broadband on what the Government has dubbed Super Switch On Day.
The new connections cover rural areas of Wiltshire, Hampshire, Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Kent and Shropshire. The fibre upgrades are so far estimated to have reached around 200,000 people, according to figures from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
It said: “'Super Switch on Day' marks the enormous progress made during 2013 – there are now real results being seen on the group. The national rollout is accelerating, with many projects already ahead of schedule."
Despite claims that around 10,000 more properties are able to access superfast broadband every week, the goalposts for the rural roll-out have been shifted this year because of repeated delays. The latest target is to provide coverage for 95 per cent of properties by 2017.
The Government, which said the weekly programme would reach another 25,000 properties every seven days by spring next year, said the roll-out is on track to meet its targets.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: "We’re determined to ensure everyone benefits and that broadband is available in the very hardest to reach areas of Britain, making a real difference to people who live in these communities.”
The Government also said the UK was doing better than other European nations for broadband connectivity in a number of categories. According to research by Analysys Mason, Britain is ahead of the pack and is poised to be the leading nation in Europe for superfast connections by 2018, the BBC reported.
Superfast broadband access and the number of people taking advantage of it are greater in the UK than in France, Italy and Germany. It echoes the findings of another report published in the summer by Point Topic, which said that the Government is on course to meet the 95 per cent coverage by its 2017 target.
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