Want superfast broadband? Then you need to register now, urges county council (From Dorset Echo)

Want superfast broadband? Then you need to register now, urges county council

1:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News By Adrianne Maslen

LYME Regis and Charmouth are urged to get on board with superfast broadband to ensure the communities are not left behind.

The Superfast Dorset project will invest £38million in private and public funds to install high speed internet connection to rural areas.

Dorset County Council, with input from district councils, has earmarked £9.4 million for the scheme, which aims to connect 95 per cent of Dorset to speeds of at least 24 megabytes per second (Mbps).

Only parts of central Lyme Regis will be covered by commercial providers, but Superfast Dorset will connect the surrounding area, including Charmouth.

Dorset County Council said it is essential that properties not covered by the commercial rollout register their interest for superfast broadband.

More than 7,000 people have already registered through the county council website, but fewer people from the Lyme Regis and Charmouth area have expressed an interest than anywhere else.

Only 64 properties in the DT7 area have registered.

A county council spokesman said: “Some parts of Lyme Regis will receive access to faster broadband through the commercial rollout.

“If you are not covered by the commercial rollout you should register.”

Any premises which do not get superfast broadband will get access to at least 2Mbps – currently one in five premises across Dorset get 0.5Mbps.

The council spokesman has stressed the economic and social benefits of high speed connections.

“Our businesses need this and are crying out for it to keep businesses in rural areas and improve employment prospects,” said the spokesman.

Lyme Regis town councillor Lorna Jenkin, chairman of the tourism and economic development committee, has also urged residents to make sure they are not left behind.

She said: “The good news is that the majority of Lyme Regis will receive faster broadband.

“The message is that those outside the (commercial) scheme wishing to get a better broadband service must tell the county’s broadband team or they may be overlooked.”

Those who are not covered commercially should register themselves at dorsetforyou.com/superfast-dorset/register-interest.

Key facts

• Existing broadband is between 0.5Mbps and 8Mbps in most of Dorset 
• Around one in five premises in Dorset can only get 0.5Mbps and some cannot get broadband at all
• It will deliver speeds of at least 24 Mbps 
• The Superfast Dorset programme is aiming for 95 per cent of premises in Dorset to have access to superfast broadband
• Superfast Dorset went out to tender in February to find a provider to install the infrastructure