As you can probably imagine, superfast broadband is an important vehicle for a media outlet like ours – we rely on it to serve you our articles at speed along with rich video and audio content.
So, it was with some delight the we learned today that 19 out of 20 homes and business across our county can now access superfast broadband, thanks to the Connecting Cheshire partnership.
That means over 95% of the area we cover being able to access our service quickly and at the highest quality.
Investment from Connecting Cheshire (a partnership between four Cheshire councils, BT and central government, with additional funding from the European Regional Development Fund) has now reached more than 85,000 premises with broadband speeds of 24Mbps or more.
Engineers from Openreach, the business responsible for the majority of the UK’s local phone and broadband network, have been installing the fibre broadband infrastructure since 2013.
To check availability in your area, visit the Connecting Cheshire website and enter the relevant postcode or telephone number: www.connectingcheshire.org.uk/check-availability
Connection to fibre broadband does not happen automatically, so anyone wishing to switch should contact their internet service provider or shop around for the best package to suit their needs.
With more than 100 service providers offering broadband packages, there are plenty to choose from.
Faster broadband, of course, makes a significant difference to everyday online activity – for example a typical film in high definition (HD) can take an hour to download with standard broadband but can be done in a matter of minutes with a superfast connection.
Cllr Brian Clarke, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s cabinet member for economic development and infrastructure said: “While the Internet these days is taken for granted, there will be businesses and individuals that aren’t aware significantly higher speeds are likely to be available now we have 95 per cent coverage.
“Upgrading or switching suppliers is quick and easy. The council has a ‘gainshare’ arrangement with Openreach, that means we can reinvest a share of their revenue into more coverage to reach areas not yet able to benefit.”
Cllr Paul Bates, Cheshire East Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for ICT and digital, said: “Fibre broadband is having a huge impact, with so many more online services reliant on a fast internet connection, whether at work or at home.
“I would urge everyone to check their availability and where possible, make a switch.”
Openreach’s infrastructure director for the North, Matthew Hemmings, said: “This is without doubt an extraordinary achievement and I’d like to thank the hundreds of Openreach engineers across Cheshire and our suppliers, who have worked so tirelessly to make this happen.
“High-speed fibre broadband helps to ensure that businesses thrive and don’t just survive and it helps to keep communities connected. Whatever you do online, you can do it better with fibre broadband.”
Connecting Cheshire is managed by the councils’ wholly-owned, arms-length Skills and Growth Company.
