Superfast Broadband One Step Closer for Thousands More Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire Homes and Businesses An £18.06 million project to transform broadband speeds for thousands more businesses and residents across Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire was announced today.
Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire County Councils have signed a contract with BT which will see fibre broadband becoming available to more than 90 per cent of premises in the two counties by the end of March 2016. This is a major step forward for the Connected Counties programme which is run jointly by the two County Councils.
The Connected Counties programme will make fibre broadband, delivering speeds of up to 80Mbps*, available to more than 52,500 homes and businesses in the two counties 38,500 in Buckinghamshire and 14,000 in Hertfordshire in the next three years. It builds on BT's commercial roll-out which has so far made the technology available to more than 153,000 homes and businesses in Buckinghamshire County Council area and more than 400,000 in Hertfordshire.
Additionally, the project aims to ensure that everyone in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire has access to a minimum of 2Mbps broadband speeds (fast enough to watch BBC iPlayer).
Robert Gordon, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council welcomed the deal: I'd like to thank everyone in Hertfordshire who took the time to register their interest and helped us to reach this important milestone. Faster broadband will boost our economy as it makes local businesses much more competitive and it is great for families who need to access multiple devices at the same time.
Buckinghamshire County Council Leader Martin Tett said: This is a fantastic step forward in our commitment to make the county a great place to do business and to live , he said. Superfast broadband has the potential to transform our economy and our lives as dramatically as the railways did for the Victorians.
Bill Murphy, BT's Managing Director, Next Generation Access, added: This is fantastic news and this project will move Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire well and truly into the broadband fast lane. We're already seeing the positive impact that faster, fibre broadband is having and now, thanks to this partnership, this investment will further boost the position of the two counties as being among the leading creators of new businesses.
Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said: This Government is committed to transforming the nation's Broadband, and today's announcement is tremendous news for the people of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. This project will deliver a huge boost to the local economy, and more than 52,500 homes and businesses across these Connected Counties will be able to enjoy all the benefits that superfast broadband has to offer.
Andrew Percival and Michael Garvey, representing Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire (Thames Valley) Local Enterprise Partnership respectively, added: Both Local Enterprise Partnerships are pleased to see the project reach this important milestone. This investment will enable enterprises and business parks to reap the benefits of superfast connectivity, enhancing the prospects for business growth, job creation and economic competitiveness.
Improving broadband speeds has long been an ambition of both county councils. More than 11,700 residents and businesses in the two counties registered their interest in receiving superfast broadband following a successful campaign.
BT was chosen by the Councils following an extensive and thorough procurement process. The company is contributing £8.6 million to the project while Hertfordshire County Council and Buckinghamshire County Council are contributing £1.61 million and £3.7 million respectively, including funding from the two Local Enterprise Partnerships. A further £4.15million is coming from the Government's Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) funds.
Hertfordshire County Council and Buckinghamshire County Council will be working with BT to identify which areas of the two counties will be upgraded to fibre broadband through this intervention programme. There will be a phased approach to the roll-out of fibre broadband, with the first areas predicted to be upgraded in mid-2014.
Ends
Notes to Editors
Openreach will install the fibre network which will be open to all communication providers on an equal wholesale basis. 80 service providers currently use BT's fibre network to offer broadband service to customers. Businesses and residents in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire will therefore benefit from a highly competitive market, bringing greater choice and affordable prices.
* Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC), where the fibre runs from the telephone exchange as far as the nearest BT street cabinet, will be the main technology deployed. This can deliver wholesale downstream speeds of up to 80Mbps and upstream speeds of up to 20Mbps.
According to the Ofcom Fixed Broadband Speeds Map 2012, the average broadband speed in Hertfordshire is 16Mbps, with 9.5% of premises receiving less than 2Mbps. In Buckinghamshire, the average speed is 12.4Mbps and 11.6% of premises receive less than 2Mbps.
Under the contract, 14,010 premises in Hertfordshire and 38,528 premises in Buckinghamshire will have access to fibre broadband by the end of March 2016. Additional funding was provided by the Local Enterprise Partnerships for the area. Hertfordshire LEP contributed £0.5m, and Buckinghamshire LEP contributed £1.7m.
About Connected Counties
Connected Counties is a joint project to bring fibre broadband to over 90 per cent of homes and businesses in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire by the end of March 2016.
For more information, visit www.superfastforherts.org and www.superfastforbucks.org
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Superfast Broadband One Step Closer for Thousands More Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire Homes and Businesses An £18.06 million project to transform broadband speeds for thousands more businesses and residents across Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire was announced today.
