Vote Now for Better Broadband

13th March 2012
Vote Now for Better Broadband

The ‘Make Kent Quicker’ Campaign, launched by Kent County Council, gives businesses and homeowners the opportunity to vote for better broadband investment in Sittingbourne and Sheppey.

It is the Government’s ambition to achieve the best superfast broadband in Europe by 2015. Kent County Council and the Government are investing over £20 million to help make this happen.

However, we also need broadband providers to invest; the greater the demand, the more broadband providers will be prepared to invest in Kent.

Local MP, Gordon Henderson, said:

“The Government has committed to improving broadband across the country and I am pleased to see Kent County Council working closely with the Government and broadband providers to make this a reality.

“The ‘Make Kent Quicker’ campaign is a great initiative to ensure that the areas where existing Government, local authority and private sector superfast broadband investment does not reach have the opportunity to attract further broadband provider investment.

“It is vital that businesses and residents in my constituency do not miss the boat and register their demand for better broadband at www.makekentquicker.com or by calling 08458 247247”

So far the private sector on its own has committed to take superfast Broadband to around two-thirds of UK households and businesses. BT, for example, has invested £2.5 billion into their ‘BT Infinity’ project installing fibre optic technology, offering broadband speeds of up to 40Mb to two thirds of the country by 2014 – a year ahead of the original target date.

Homes and businesses in the more rural parts of Sittingbourne and Sheppey, particularly Eastchurch, Leysdown and Warden, are unlikely to be provided for by the broadband market and this is where the Government and Kent County Council have come in.

To take delivery further, the Government has committed £530m to help take broadband to the remaining one third of the country. Kent County Council is working closely with the Government to ensure that at least 90% of Kent’s properties can access superfast broadband services by 2015 and that the remaining 10% have access of at least 2Mb, enough for basic tasks such as email and online banking, in line with Government targets.

90% superfast criteria is a minimum requirement. If the county are able to demonstrate high demand for better broadband services, network operators may be persuaded to invest in providing superfast services to a higher percentage of properties within Kent and this is why it is important to register demand with the ‘Make Kent Quicker’ campaign.