Thames Valley: Superfast Berkshire boosting the Royal Borough

More and more people in the Royal Borough are now benefiting from the multi-million pound roll-out of superfast broadband that is supported by the Superfast Berkshire project.

This project is bringing fibre broadband to places which fall outside the private sector’s commercial plans. Local businesses, community and voluntary groups, and individual households in these areas can now all take advantage of the benefits.

Broadband speeds of up to 80 Mbps are now available to a further:
• 720 properties in Ascot, North Ascot and Sunninghill
• 649 properties in the Colnbrook area (some of which are in the Royal Borough)
• 165 properties in Littlewick Green
• 139 properties in Windsor
• 109 properties in the Bourne End area (around Cookham Rise)
• 58 in Maidenhead

Superfast Berkshire is a partnership between the six Berkshire unitary councils, the Local Enterprise Partnership, BT, and the government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) scheme. Essentially, it is building on the commercial roll-out of fibre broadband in the county by the private sector so that 91% of Berkshire homes and businesses will have access to the technology by the end of September 2015.

Cllr David Burbage, leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, said: “Superfast broadband is a vital tool for business and commerce and I am pleased that these properties that previously did not have it now do; the overall benefits for local businesses and residents are enormous.”

Bill Murphy, managing director of Next Generation Access for BT, said: “The fibre broadband roll-out is bringing really positive social and economic benefits to people all over the UK, and this programme is a great example of successful partnership between the private sector, local and national government."

To see a map of the extended areas of broadband coverage under the Superfast Berkshire project in the Royal Borough, click here.