Bristol City Council today welcomed BT news that super-fast broadband is to be rolled-out to around 24,000 homes and businesses in and around Bristol.
Three BT exchanges in the city – covering Downend, North Bristol and West Bristol – are among the latest UK locations due to be upgraded next year with super-fast broadband as part of the company’s roll-out to 1.5 million UK homes by Summer 2010.
The plan is part of BT’s longer-term programme to make super-fast fibre to the cabinet broadband available to 40 per cent of the UK –. The company has pledged to spend £1.5 billion on connecting 10 million UK homes by 2012.
Bristol City Council Leader Barbara Janke welcomed the news of BT’s immediate plans, but stressed the importance of ensuring connectivity throughout Bristol at the earliest opportunity.
“We are delighted that super fast broadband is coming to the city and commend BT for its early initiative. We are pleased to see that further connections are planned and are keen to see further roll out in Bristol. It is crucial to the local economy that the whole city, and in particular South Bristol, benefits from the new technology as soon as possible.”
“The benefits to business are very significant and we must ensure that these benefits are available across the city. We would like to engage with the industry at an early stage to discuss how soon we can move on this. We will press hard on behalf of our businesses and citizens to avoid a damaging divide between those with faster and slower connections.”
