Partners Shropshire Council and BT today announced more details about the areas where people will be able to start accessing faster broadband as part of a £24.6 million Connecting Shropshire programme.
The exchange areas are: Bayston Hill, Bomere Heath, Broseley, Bucknell, Chirk, Church Stretton, Cleehillstone (Clee Hill), Cleobury Mortimer, Clun, Craven Arms, Cross Houses, Dorrington, Hadnall, Hanwood, Highley, Much Wenlock, Pipegate, Prees, Quatt, Queens Head, Shawbury, Shifnal, Tenbury Wells, Wem and Whixall.
The high-speed technology is expected to start going ‘live’ in Bayston Hill, Bomere Heath, Bucknell, Church Stretton, Craven Arms, Cross Houses, Dorrington, Hadnall, Hanwood, Much Wenlock and Shawbury from this Summer.
At the same time fibre broadband will be extended in the parts of Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Market Drayton and Oswestry not already covered by any commercial rollout.
Work to connect the remaining exchange areas will begin in the second half of this year, with the majority completed by the end of Spring 2015.
Mike Cook, BT’s regional director for the West Midlands, said:
“It’s a huge engineering project that we’re undertaking here in Shropshire, but we’re committed to connecting communities as quickly as possible whilst of course planning carefully to ensure the project delivers the best value for money from the investment.
“The internet is playing an increasingly important part in all our lives which is why the strong progress being made by Connecting Shropshire is so important.”
The combined investment from Connecting Shropshire and the private sector’s commercial roll-out plans will mean 93 per cent of homes and businesses in the Shropshire Council area will have access to faster fibre broadband by the end of Spring 2016.
Shropshire homes and businesses will be able to order fibre broadband from a wide range of internet service providers.
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