Ashfield speeding ahead for internet

Ashfield has been named one of the top places for access to superfast broadband in the country.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Apr 2018, 18:40 BST
Updated 18th Apr 2018, 10:26 BST
Of the 297 councils in the UK with a plan in place, just seven have hit the target reach for broadband.Of the 297 councils in the UK with a plan in place, just seven have hit the target reach for broadband.
Of the 297 councils in the UK with a plan in place, just seven have hit the target reach for broadband.

Ashfield has been identified as one of only two districts in the whole of the East Midlands with almost wholesale superfast broadband. Ashfield District Council had to provide at least 95 percent of premises with superfast broadband by the end of 2017- a target set out the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK scheme. Of the 297 councils in the UK with a plan in place, just seven have hit the target reach for broadband.Councillor Cheryl Butler, leader of Ashfield District Council said: “The council is extremely pleased to have reached the superfast broadband target of 95 per cent or above. “The council, in fact, has a 98 per cent coverage for superfast broadband.”The figures were released by broadband comparison website BroadbandChoices, which analysed almost 400 UK council websites and Ofcom performance statistics. It said that just 12 out of the 391 UK councils it analysed have reached 95 per cent levels of superfast broadband penetration or higher, the UKs target. It also revealed that only seven councils in the UK have met the targets for broadband speeds they set themselves.Coun Butler said: “Nottinghamshire County Council’s £30 million Better Broadband project has helped Ashfield reach this target. “Ashfield council has funded £70,000 toward the project to help develop areas within Ashfield and the county.”Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire is a multi-million pound partnership between the county council and a range of funding partners including BT, Central Government, the D2N2 local enterprise partnership and the European Regional Development Fund, which is set to transform broadband speeds across Nottinghamshire.It was set up to take advantage of the government’s initiative, which provides funding to help councils improve broadband access where needs will not be met by the private sector.

Related topics:AshfieldEast MidlandsGovernmentOfcomNottinghamshire