All Norfolk properties will be able to receive speeds of at least two megabits per second by March 2015 and many parts of Norfolk will also be able to receive 'super-fast' broadband - a minimum of 30Mb/s - for the first time.
Following Norfolk County Council's successful bid for £15m of Government funding in May to invest in improving the broadband infrastructure in the county, officers at the council have been laying the groundwork to appoint a partner from the private telecommunications sector who will deliver the project.
Work to install the infrastructure is expected to begin in January 2013, with new broadband services becoming available in some areas shortly afterwards.
Since the County Council discovered its bid was one of only three in the country to be approved in the first round of funding from Government agency Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), officers have finalised a broadband plan for Norfolk that sets out the timescales and parameters for the project.
Currently more than 50,000 private and commercial properties across the county are in broadband 'not spots', either having no broadband access or suffering very slow internet speeds of less than 2Mb/s.
Independent research commissioned by the County Council shows the 'Better Broadband for Norfolk' project bid will create an additional 1,337 jobs and boost the county's economy by £401m over 10 years.
Ann Steward, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Norfolk County Council, said: "People in our county, particularly but not exclusively in rural areas, are being disadvantaged by no or slow broadband access and this has ramifications for our economy but also for people's lifestyles, including their educational, social and financial choices and opportunities."
Further information:
Norfolk County Council
