CSR: NGN broadband spending to exceed expectations

Pilots to take place in the Highlands, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Herefordshire

Pilots areas will test best technologies for rural rollout

Chancellor George Osborne announced in his comprehensive spending review that rural broadband pilots will receive £530m in spending over the next four years.

The Government will trial superfast broadband in the Highlands, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Herefordshire.

Malcolm Corbett, CEO of the Independent Networks Cooperative Association (INCA), describes how the pilot areas were predicted but the amount has exceeded his expectations.

“£530m is far more than what had been anticipated. Although nothing had ever been confirmed, we were expecting an announcement of around £400m,” he said.

“Broadband Delivery UK is going to be using these pilots to assess the best technologies for rolling out next generation broadband into rural areas which are deemed beyond the reach of what is commercially viable”.

“The areas selected are certainly not a surprise, as they are particularly affected by lack of services and have been actively promoting their case in recent months."

Presently there is a ‘middle-third’ of the UK that is fighting for access to next generation broadband. This third of the population is not considered commercially viable by large network providers, but is also not living in small enough communities to benefit from government funding.

It has been confirmed that the BBC will contribute to the £530m spend, which the spending review predicts will benefit approximately 2 million households.