Member Article

Super-fast broadband coming to the North East

BT are now considering further investment in the North East if the Government and public sector organisations are willing to “create the right environment”.

BT North East Regional director Chris Sayers has emphasised that in order to truly reap the full benefits of super-fast broadband, public and private sector businesses need to work together in partnership to achieve this.

The project has already been successful in Northern Ireland, where 85 percent of businesses have access to fibre broadband following a £48 million initiative by Northern Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and lead partner BT, who also invested £30 million.

He said: “The success of the Northern Ireland project demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations work together, combining their expertise and resources,” he said.

“Like parts of the North East, Northern Ireland has rural areas where the engineering challenges and costs are considerable. But we worked together to roll-out faster broadband far more quickly and more widely than would have been possible without a partnership approach.

More than 104,000 homes and businesses in the North East already have access to super-fast broadband, with BT hoping to reach the 350,000 mark by the end of next year

He added: “We are very willing to make a further major investment in the region if we can work with the public sector to create the right environment.”

James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC), said: ’It is vital that organisations work together to make faster broadband widely available in the North East as quickly as possible. This exciting technology will play an essential role in the future success of our region.

“Businesses and organisations of all shapes and sizes need first class communications if they are to survive and thrive in a very competitive world. We must ensure that the North East doesn’t get left behind.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .