May 2012 - Village Voices

County Council's Broadband plans
County Councillor Andrew Reid presided
at a meeting in Hollesley last month for
Wilford parish councillors to learn about
the County's plans for super-fast broadband
by 2015.
Representatives from Bawdsey, Boyton,
Butley, Capel St Andrew, Hollesley and
Sutton heard Chris Bally, Assistant
Director for Business Development at the
County Council, outline the plans for
spending some £44m over the next three
years.
Mr Bally made clear that this county-wide
project will not disrupt the new local
broadband wireless service, from
Fibrewifi. This is shortly to be operational
on the Wilford Peninsula, with speeds of
12.5 megabytes. It is assisted with a cash
grant for infrastructure development from
the European Union, via DEFRA.
Mr Bally said Suffolk is one of the first
English counties to gain funds from the
national Better Broadband UK initiative,
which is tasked with ensuring super-fast
broadband across the country. BBUK is
providing £11.68 m, to be matched with
the same amount from Suffolk County
Council and other local partners. When a
contractor is chosen by the County Council
in September, they will be required to add
a matching £22m to the project. The
money will be spent on improved
infrastructure, with service provision
continuing from a multiplicity of
companies at the user's expense.
The parish councillors were shown maps of
where the present telephone exchanges and
cabinets are which will eventually be
upgraded to permit the faster services.
Suffolk County Council is aiming for 100
per cent coverage of the county, with
super-fast provision via fibre optic cable
for the vast majority. Where this is not
feasible, for perhaps 10-15 per cent of
households and businesses, Mr Bally said
the county will use wireless and satellite to
guarantee a better service than at present,
that is a minimum of 2 megabytes.
Central government is currently preassessing
the contractors wanting to
upgrade the national infrastructure, and in
September this year, Suffolk will select one
of the three now left in the race as their
county-wide partner.
Meanwhile Cllr Reid and Mr Bally urged
people to demonstrate local demand by
filling in the survey on the county council
website.
Anne Page
Kingpin Bowling
Centre
Gloster Rd, Martlesham
Heath: Tel 01473611111
Youth Bowling Club
Every Saturday
10am-12.30pm
For ages 8-18
Coaching for all abilities
Bowling Shirt for all regular
members
Gift bowling ball
after 20 sessions
Just £5 each per session
Page 26 May 2012
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