Thousands more residents and businesses in Calderdale will have access to superfast broadband by the end of 2015 in the first phase of the Digital Calderdale programme.
On Monday, September 9, Calderdale Council – together with Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield councils – signed a contract with BT to extend high-speed fibre broadband in West Yorkshire. For Calderdale, this means that over 95 per cent of homes and businesses will benefit from faster internet access (over 24 mbps). By 2016, the aim is to make sure everyone in Calderdale can access a minimum of 2 mbps.
This will make it quicker for people to do everyday online tasks like banking, shopping, learning, social media and public services, and for businesses to do online transactions, communication and flexible working, helping them save money and become more competitive, said a spokesman.
Calderdale Council has invested over £700,000 into this project, which aims to bring important benefits for the borough including: improved broadband access in hard to reach areas helps sustain our rural villages; increased broadband speed contributes significantly to economic growth, attracts businesses to locate here and helps businesses thrive; better access to basic services such as education, transport and health, and reduced travel times; improved access will stimulate broadband provider competition, which in turn drives down prices to consumers.