Council set to OK next step towards ultrafast broadband and wireless internet

Ultra-fast broadband and wireless internet across a wide area of Brighton & Hove could come a step closer this week. 

Councillors are expected to authorise officials to seek internet providers interested in setting up improved connectivity in the city. 

In December the council and partners won over £3m from the government to upgrade the city’s internet capacity, potentially boosting business, creating 1000 new jobs and 135 new companies. 

A report to the council’s policy committee on March 21 recommends councillors allow officers to prepare bid documents, invite tenders and appoint contractors to install cable networks and wireless access. 

Selected companies would be expected to market services to customers and set their own tariffs. 

Funding allocated under the culture department’s Wave 2 programme needs to be spent by April 2014.  Council officers are working with the government to finalise details of exactly how the money is spent. It is expected to help fund enhanced fibre optic connections and make wireless broadband available in buildings and outdoors on mobile devices. 

Areas targeted will be those which currently have poor existing commercial provision. These include a large area in the city centre, parts of Hove and Portslade south of the Old Shoreham Road, Kemptown seafront and the university areas along Lewes Road. 

The council will also distribute some of the money in the form of vouchers to small companies to improve fibre optic connections to their premises.  

The move would inject around £12.5m a year into the local economy. It will also unlock a further £1.37m of private sector investment into the city’s digital infrastructure.  

Ultrafast broadband provides a minimum download speed of at least 80 megabits per second and is more than three times faster than ‘superfast’ broadband. Over 90 per cent of Brighton & Hove is currently covered by superfast.  

There are currently differences between areas, with some suffering slower speeds as large numbers of people online overload networks.  

This money could ensure 96 per cent of dwellings are potentially able to tap in to ultrafast, subject to agreement that the spending is in line with EU rules on state aid to private firms.  

Council leader Jason Kitcat said: “Ultrafast broadband or the ability to pick up fast wifi in the street would be a vital boost for our digital media and creative sector.  Many of these companies are very small or individual freelancers who often would not be able to afford such a connection.  This improved connectivity will unleash even more of our city's potential. That’s why the council and partners have put a great deal of effort into this bid.”  

Cllr Kitcat thanked local digital champions Wired Sussex and advisors Mott Macdonald who worked with the city council on the bid, which is expected to help fund:  

* A commercially-sponsored roll out of outdoor web access in the central commercial and business districts, including the seafront

* An ultrafast broadband area covering places including the New England and North Laine Business Quarter, the Lewes Road area, which includes universities and new hospital sites, and around Brighton and Hove rail stations which will boost both upload and download speeds.

* The opportunity for small and medium enterprises to receive a subsidy for the cost of getting fibre into their business premises.

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