Thousands of Suffolk and Essex homes set for faster broadband
Suffolk and Essex homes are set for gigabit broadband - Credit: Pixabay
Homes across Suffolk and Essex are set for a major upgrade to their broadband connectivity next year.
As part of the government's Project Gigabit scheme, hundreds of thousands of homes across the UK will be upgraded thanks to a £5billion broadband grant.
Gigabit broadband is an internet connection that offers a speed of 1 gigabit per second, meaning residents will be capable of downloading a high-definition film in under a minute.
First up will be Essex, with work beginning from the first half of 2022. There are plans for an upgrade for Suffolk in June.
Leader of Colchester Borough Council Mark Cory - Credit: COLCHESTER BOROUGH COUNCIL
Colchester Borough Council will also be able to upgrade 8,000 homes and businesses thanks to a successful bid for £3.24million from the government’s Local Full Fibre Network Fund (LFFN).
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This is thanks to a new partnership between Colchester Amphora Trading Ltd (CATL) and Swedish fibre operator, VX Fiber, announced today.
To supplement this, VX Fiber is making a multi-million pound investment into access infrastructure to connect premises.
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That means Colchester will see the network expand to reach a target of 25,000 premises.
Leader of Colchester Borough Council, Mark Cory, said: “We welcome this forward-thinking partnership with VX Fiber and the start of works to enable over 8,000 homes and businesses within Colchester to benefit from direct access to full-fibre gigabit broadband connectivity.
“VX Fiber’s investment in Colchester builds on our own council project to expand ultra-fast broadband around the town.
"This benefits the local economy, supporting businesses and residents all in one go.
“This significant investment will support the growing demands of home working and study, boost business innovation and growth, and help entice digitally aware businesses into the borough.”
This month, the VX Fiber began the build of a full-fibre open access network, which benefited Berechurch and Shrub End wards.
Mikael Sandberg, chairman at VX Fiber, said: “Access to gigabit connectivity is an integral part of 21st century living.
"But it’s much more than just streaming video and music or online shopping.
"It’s also about transforming communities with ‘smart’ initiatives and improvements such as better access to employment, education and healthcare – there will be no restrictions on the introduction of new applications and services as the FTTP infrastructure is future-proof."
