City centre Enterprise Zone boosted by superfast broadband – LEP

BIRMINGHAM’S city centre Enterprise Zone has received an important boost with the roll-out of superfast broadband, the area’s Local Enterprise Partnership has said.

One of the main factors in encouraging firms to relocate to the EZ will be the availability and reliability of its communications infrastructure.

Andrew Cleaves, board member of GBSLEP responsible for connectivity, said:  “Real progress has been made by securing the world-class digital infrastructure that businesses need – with almost £10m of funding committed to improve access to, and take-up of high-speed broadband.

“The focus of those schemes is on Birmingham city centre’s Enterprise Zone, and the challenge for us now is to extend top-quality coverage right across the Greater Birmingham & Solihull area.”

He said the LEP’s Growth Deal set out the partnership’s commitment to working with stakeholders and supporting the Government’s aim of extending coverage to 95% of premises across the country by 2017.  

“Work is already underway to remove the barriers and to ensure that our growing businesses have access to the connectivity they need to deliver the growth upon which our future economic prosperity depends,” he added.

The comments come as the Government today confirmed the roll-out of superfast broadband had now reached more than one million homes and businesses across the UK.
The £1.7bn programme aims to have the broadband available to 95% of the UK by 2017.

It confirmed the rate at which the fibre technology is being rolled out under the programme is rapidly accelerating, with up to 40,000 premises gaining access every week.

As a result of the work being done, more than 42,000 homes and businesses in the West Midlands are already able to access the new fibre broadband service.
 
Culture Secretary – and Bromsgrove MP – Sajid Javid said: “Superfast broadband is totally transforming the way we live and work. For businesses, superfast speeds are boosting profits through increased sales, reduced overheads and accessing markets abroad for the first time.”

Gavin Patterson, Chief Executive Officer, BT said getting fibre to rural areas was hard, and often complex, work the company was making good progress towards its target.

The UK-wide rollout is a key part of the government’s long-term economic plan to secure Britain’s future by providing access to superfast broadband in areas the private sector would not otherwise have reached.

It is estimated the roll-out programme will create an additional 56,000 jobs in the UK by 2024.The work involved in the current roll out is expected to provide a £1.5bn boost to local economies.