Leeds gets connected with £40m broadband boost

LEEDS CITY COUNCIL has announced a £40m investment in the city’s homes and businesses.

In partnership with Virgin Media, the council has launched a scheme to double the speed of internet in 80,000 homes and businesses in the Leeds area.

Council leader Judith Blake announced the first wave of investment with 11,000 homes in Middleton gaining access to ultrafast broadband, with speeds of around 152Mb.

This is reportedly twice the speed of competitors including BT, TalkTalk and Sky.

Individuals and businesses sign up to ‘cablemystreet’ to gain access to the service.

Leader of Leeds City Council Judith Blake said: “I am delighted that we have secured this investment for the residents of Leeds. Access to high speed broadband is the cornerstone of a thriving local economy helping residents connect and businesses to grow.”

Tom Mockridge, Virgin Media Chief Executive Officer, said: “Local authorities have an important role in getting ultrafast broadband to more people, more quickly. Virgin Media is investing £3bn to improve the UK’s digital infrastructure. We need more local authorities, like Leeds City Council, to work with us to cut the red tape and secure investment for their residents.”