Detailed plans have been set out on how Bristol will become a world-class super-connected city by 2015.
The Culture Secretary Maria Miller has confirmed that Bristol will gain £11.3 million from the Urban Broadband Fund, one of ten cities to gain a share of the fund.
The city councils cabinet will confirm next week its support for the plans to invest the £11.3 million in world-class digital infrastructure. The main proposals include:
– Superfast Broadband this investment will ensure that at least 90% of the city can access superfast broadband. The city council will engage a telecommunications provider to infill areas across the city that are currently unable to access superfast broadband approximately 10,000 premises currently fall into this category.
– The Next Generation (Gigabit) Network the project will also engage a telecommunications provider to roll out Ultrafast broadband to business, social housing, university halls and residents across a central zone of the city.
– Wi-Fi the council will engage a telecommunications provider to deliver Wi-FI to the 54 defined business growth areas across the city.
The funding will also include a capital contribution towards a Growth Hub a physical space in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone that can act as a shop window for superfast broadband and a voucher scheme to encourage SME take-up.
Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Guy Poultney said: Todays announcement from Government is excellent news and reinforces Bristols role as a leading digital city. Securing ultrafast broadband and extending Wi-Fi in the city is key to maintaining and growing our world-class knowledge economy.
This funding will help us ensure that Bristols businesses and communities benefit from the very best digital infrastructure, to put us on a level with world-class connected cities such as Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo.
