A MULTI-million pound deal to make Superfast Broadband available to thousands more Cornish homes and businesses has been struck by Cornwall Council. The council says the new £7.6m deal that will enable the region to remain at the forefront of digital connectivity.

A new programme of investment is being launched to build on the legacy of the Superfast Cornwall partnership between the European Union, BT and Cornwall Council, which is forecast to deliver fibre broadband access to 95% of premises in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, far beyond the project’s initial 80% target. 89% of premises are expected to be able to access superfast broadband speeds of 24Mpbs and above.

The new project sees the council investing alongside the UK Government, through Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), and BT to extend the fibre broadband network and provide increased access to superfast broadband speeds across Cornwall. Match funding is also being provided through the Regional Growth Fund and Growth Deal.

Councillor Julian German, the council’s cabinet member for economy and culture, said: "Digital connectivity is essential in addressing Cornwall’s peripherality from national and international markets.”

“This new investment will build on the achievements of Superfast Cornwall and enable Cornwall to retain its leadership position as one of the best connected rural areas in the world, increasing prosperity by bringing benefits to businesses and households. We will again be breaking new ground as we deliver fibre broadband into yet more rural areas and will be pushing to bring superfast broadband access to at least 8,600 more Cornish premises across the region by early 2018."

The project has been made possible through £2.96m of investment from the Government’s Superfast Extension Programme. Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: "Superfast Cornwall has made incredible progress with their rollout of superfast broadband. Government wants to take coverage even further though, and this additional funding will boost superfast availability in Cornwall as part of our commitment to reach 95 per cent of the UK by 2017."

Bill Murphy, managing director of Next Generation Access for BT, which will invest £1.23 million in the new programme, said: "BT is delighted to be working with Cornwall Council to make superfast broadband available to thousands more homes and businesses in Cornwall.

“Through our joint investment with the EU and Cornwall Council in Superfast Cornwall, we have already delivered world-leading fibre broadband coverage for a rural area and this new programme will build upon that investment. Our engineers will be overcoming new challenges in rolling out superfast broadband to some of Cornwall’s most remote and rural areas and a detailed planning phase will now commence before the building of the new network gets underway."

The project is the first of a two phased approach that aims to bring access to superfast broadband to at least 99% of premises in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. It will be managed by the Cornwall Development Company, the arm’s length economic development company for Cornwall Council. It is anticipated that the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Programme will be a principal source of investment for the second phase of the project.