Northamptonshire Aims for Full Fibre Broadband

Northamptonshire attempts to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to 40% of its premises by 2023.

09:41 20 October 2020

Northamptonshire County Council is working towards bringing full-fibre and gigabit-capable broadband to 40per cent of its premises by 2023. So far, only 15per cent of the target has been delivered and the council admits that reaching 40per cent by 2023 is 'challenging but achievable'. 

 

Superfast Northamptonshire, the project delivering the service, is on track for its target for March 2021, having already completed or on the verge of meeting its objectives for the delivery of superfast and ultrafast broadband. 

 

During the meeting of the South Northamptonshire Council Scrutiny Committee, members heard that  98.5per cent of the county now has access to 30Mbit/s, which is just 0.5per cent behind the target needed by March. Meanwhile, its target of 65per cent of ultrafast broadband has already been exceeded standing at more than 70per cent currently. 

 

Ian Achurch, head of external funding and partnerships at Northamptonshire County Council, told the committee: “Where we’re aiming to be is fibre all the way through. We were one of the first areas to have full-fibre coverage targets and we wanted to show the Government we have ambitions and looking further ahead we want to be part of the Government’s £5bn Outside In programme – which is aiming to reach the hardest to reach premises. So we set these targets, and while we’re at 15per cent now we’re increasing rapidly.”