The Minister responsible for Digital and Culture, Matt Hancock, joined representatives from Connecting Cambridgeshire and BT for a meeting with local broadband champions from across the region today. The meeting, initiated by local MP, Lucy Frazer, was held in West Wickham Village Hall. West Wickham is one of a host of local villages also including Carlton, Little Wilbraham, Reach and Prickwillow, recently connected to superfast broadband.
The process of rolling out broadband is a complex one and the progress marked today is the result of many months of engagement and persistence. After being elected in May 2015, Lucy Frazer MP called a meeting with Connecting Cambridgeshire (the council programme established to deliver broadband locally to homes and businesses that would not get it otherwise), BT and any local residents who did not have access to super fast broadband. 24 out of 50 villages in the region were represented at that meeting which highlighted the issue.
Ever since, Lucy has worked closely with Connecting Cambridgeshire and BT, pressing for further developments. All her work has been significantly boosted by local residents and broadband champions whose engagement has helped strengthen this campaign. Lucy has also met with Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, on numerous occasions. Meeting with key stakeholders, monitoring progress and pressing for further development is an ongoing task. The job is not yet complete but significant progress has been made since that first meeting in October 2015.
It is expected that by the end of June 2017 the region should have 94% coverage. How to connect the remaining 6% is a subject of ongoing discussion between all parties.
In today's meeting, Lucy recognised the work and commitment of the individual broadband champions who were invited to meet the Minister and raise any questions they have directly with him.
Lucy Frazer, MP for South East Cambridgeshire said:
“I am extremely grateful to the Minister and representatives from Connecting Cambridgeshire and BT for coming together today and taking the time to meet with and listen to local representatives. Today is a celebration of what has been achieved to date but it is also a fact gathering opportunity with regards to what still needs to be done. The job is not over yet but, what today’s meeting highlights is that by working together, we can make significant progress.”
Alex Schuilenburg, West Wickham Broadband Champion and Parish Councillor said: “With the introduction of Superfast Broadband, residents and businesses are now able to experience and enjoy the facilities and benefits of the modern internet, not previously accessible in West Wickham and Streetly End. Business professionals now have the option of working from home, and arguments as to who has "stolen the internet" or "it's my turn on the internet" have disappeared from households. Students are no longer dependent on family and friends in nearby villages to provide access to the internet to research and access material for their assignments and homework, or simply to submit these online.”
Matt Hancock, commented: "I was delighted to open the broadband cabinet in West Wickham. South East Cambridgeshire is now better connected than the UK average.South East Cambridgeshire is increasingly well connected with more than 9 out of 10 homes having access to superfast broadband. This new connection only came about because of the hard work of local broadband champions and the dedicated work of local MP Lucy Frazer who has had such impact over the past two years. I look forward to working with her and Connecting Cambridgeshire to make sure that everyone gets the connections they need"
Noelle Godfrey, Programme Director for Connecting Cambridgeshire said: “It’s great to hear how communities are benefiting from getting superfast broadband and our broadband champions have played a vital role in keeping residents informed about the progress of roll-out and helping to highlight connection problems. We know how important it is for households and businesses to have fast, reliable Internet connections and we’re working hard to fill the gaps.
“When the Connecting Cambridgeshire programme started in 2012, fewer than 60% of premises across the county - and just 47% in South East Cambridgeshire - could get superfast broadband. We are pleased that we’re on track to reach over 95% of the county with high speed fibre by the end of this year and we’re planning further phases of the rollout aiming for an ambitious target of more than 99% coverage by 2020.”
Carolyn Nicholson, Programme Manager, BT added: “We know just how important faster broadband speeds are to homes and businesses and it’s great to see the rollout of fibre broadband making such a big difference to the people who live and work in Cambridgeshire. Reaching some of the more rural parts of Cambridgeshire can be particularly complex because of the additional equipment needed and extra distances involved. We know there is more to do and we’re committed to continuing to work closely together to deliver the next stages of the rollout to reach even more homes and businesses”