Cumbrian broadband gets European green light

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has today welcomed the news that the UK's rural rollout of fast broadband has been given a boost as the European Union's competition commissioner has approved the state-funded scheme. This issue has been the main reason given by the County Council for the failure to start the project so far.

Tim has been lobbying ministers and Members of the European Parliament to get this decision, and is pleased that this barrier has now been removed.

And it has now been revealed that for the first time that the council's Connecting Cumbria project is aiming to supply speeds of 30 Mbps to 90 per cent of homes and businesses.

BT will begin the roll out early next year with the mammoth project due for completion in 2014. It is being funded by around £40 million of Government and European money plus a further £30 million investment from BT.

Commenting this morning Tim said: "This is welcome news. The county council and BT now need to start working to roll out the plan for super-fast broadband. I will continue to push them tirelessly to make sure communities throughout Cumbria get the broadband they need and deserve.

"I have called for an urgent meeting with BT to discuss their plans moving forward now that we have the green light to proceed."