This article was published on March 1, 2012 and information contained within may now be out of date.
East Lindsey District Council has earmarked £1m of capital money towards a countywide project that will improve broadband provision for homes and businesses in East Lindsey.
In January the Government announced it would support a plan by Lincolnshire County Council to bring next generation broadband to Lincolnshire, which would see 90% of properties receiving superfast broadband connection speeds of at last 24Mb/second by 2015, with the rest guaranteed at least 2Mb/per second.
The project, which will cost around £57m to deliver, is subject to a detailed funding package involving private sector organisations, with District Councils being asked to put forward £4m and a £10m contribution from Lincolnshire County Council.
As well as having the largest percentage of homes and businesses without access to fixed line broadband internet in Lincolnshire, East Lindsey also experiences some of the slowest broadband speeds in the county. The District Council and County Council are keen to improve this situation in order to support and create businesses as well as the wider community.
Chairman of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Ursula Lidbetter, said: “We know from talking to businesses just how important reliable, high speed broadband is to their success. That’s why improving connections across Lincolnshire is one of the Partnership’s priorities. I’m pleased that East Lindsey District Council has agreed to put this money into what is an important project for the area.”
Portfolio Holder for the Economy at East Lindsey District Council, Councillor Craig Leyland, said: “The benefits of this project are highly significant for East Lindsey’s economy. Improved internet connection speeds will enhance the district as a place to live and work, providing a huge boost for businesses who will be able to improve their competitiveness, develop new markets and create new jobs.”
Residents are also being encouraged to build up a picture of the current broadband situation in Lincolnshire by registering at www.onlincolnshire.org. This will help prove to commercial suppliers that there is a demand in Lincolnshire for the next generation of broadband infrastructure.
Editor’s Comment: After the recent results of the uSwitch.com survey which stated that Spilsby has the lowest speed connections in Lincolnshire (12th lowest in the country) the Councils will consider Spilsby as a priority area for broadband provision.
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