皇冠体育app

Twelve UK cities are set to move into the fast lane with the announcement today of a multi-million pound investment in ultrafast broadband.

皇冠体育app investment, announced today by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement, will help create a second wave of 鈥榮uper-connected cities鈥�.聽 By offering high-tech and digital companies the infrastructure they need, they will be able to compete for business, investment and jobs with the world鈥檚 top digital cities.

皇冠体育app twelve cities are:聽 Brighton and Hove, Cambridge, Coventry, Derby, Oxford, Portsmouth, Salford, and York in England; Aberdeen and Perth in Scotland; Newport in Wales; and Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Each will take a share of the 拢50 million super-connected city fund set up to provide homes and businesses with ultrafast broadband (at least 80-100Mbps) and high speed wireless Internet access.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller said:

Fast broadband is essential for growth and the creation of jobs. We have made significant progress with our broadband programme over the last few months, cutting through EU red tape and that continues. 皇冠体育app twelve cities have produced ambitious and comprehensive plans, which will turn them into digital leaders, and give local economies a real boost. 皇冠体育app new investment will help put these cities at the centre of the digital stage, competing for jobs and investment and supporting Britain in the global race.

皇冠体育app Government is transforming the UK鈥檚 digital infrastructure as a key driver of jobs and economic growth.聽 It is investing 拢680m over the lifetime of this Parliament to deliver the best broadband in Europe.聽

Government funding for this phase of the Super-Connected City Programme was open to cities with a Royal Charter and more than 45,000 homes and businesses, or more than 35,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland.聽 Local authorities were invited to apply for funding, making a commitment to provide their own investment and to seek finance from the Private Sector.

Notes to Editors

1. 皇冠体育app total sum allocated to the 12 cities is 拢50 million.聽 Individual allocations for cities will be announced in due course.聽 皇冠体育app full list of cities awarded funding in today鈥檚 announcement is:聽 Brighton and Hove, Cambridge, Coventry, Derby, Oxford, Portsmouth, Salford, and York in England; Aberdeen and Perth in Scotland; Newport in Wales; and Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland.
2. Today鈥檚 announcement is for the second round of funding for super-connected cites.聽 皇冠体育app first wave of cities to receive funding was announced in the 2012 Budget.聽 皇冠体育appy are Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds-Bradford (joint bid), London, Manchester and Newcastle.
3. 皇冠体育app Government wants the UK to have the best broadband network in Europe by 2015 and the fastest of any major European country.聽 皇冠体育app Comprehensive Spending Review allocated 拢680 million for investing in broadband over this Parliament.聽
4. 皇冠体育app availability of funding is subject to State aid approval and a demonstrably viable business case.
5. In September to speed-up the roll-out of superfast broadband.聽 Under the new plans broadband street cabinets and other infrastructure can be installed without the need for prior approval from the local council; broadband companies will face less cost and bureaucracy in laying cables in streets; and broadband cables and cabinets can be installed on or under private land without the bureaucratic burden of long-running negotiations.

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