Superfast Broadband secured for Abbottswood Housing Development

Hampshire County Council has announced that an agreement is now in place to make superfast broadband available to residents of the Abbotswood development, near Romsey, in the near future.

Working together, the Abbotswood developers consortium of Bellway Homes, Bovis Homes, Taylor Wimpey Homes, BT's network business Openreach and the County Council have agreed plans for the whole development to have access to Superfast Broadband, both homes already being occupied and new ones being built.

To enable these services, engineering works are now in progress and a further announcement will be made shortly confirming when high-speed broadband will go on sale.

New fibre broadband cabinets are due in place by the end of April and it is anticipated that residents will be able to place orders with their chosen internet service provider in the near future.

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Roy Perry said: "I am really very pleased to be able to say that, by working collaboratively with all involved, we have been able to find a solution which means that residents of Abbotswood will be able to access superfast broadband.

"Faster internet speeds are a must for most residents and businesses these days and we will continue to work with the organisations involved, in existing and future developments, for all new properties to have access to superfast broadband from 'day one'.

"In April, we will be hosting a seminar which I hope will be attended by house builders, planning authorities, internet providers and others to help ensure that high-speed broadband is available for new developments."

Councillor Roy Perry launched Hampshire's latest broadband support programme 'Getting Connected' earlier this year, aiming to ensure that superfast broadband services are available on major new housing developments across Hampshire. This is in addition to existing programmes ensuring rural areas get access to broadband.

Tom Locke, senior technical manager for Taylor Wimpey Southern Counties working on behalf of the consortium of Bellway Homes, Bovis Homes, Taylor Wimpey Homes, said: "We are delighted to be working With BT, Hampshire County Council and our development partners at Abbotswood to enable existing and future occupants to benefit from superfast broadband in their homes.

"As a considerate, responsible home builder we are dedicated to creating thriving and successful communities and we are pleased to be able to offer this fantastic opportunity to our customers."

Gavin Pidduck, head of regional sales for Openreach said: "The agreement at Abbotswood shows the power of working together. Our close working relationship with Hampshire County Council and the developers has made this upgrade possible, bringing the benefits of superfast broadband to the residents of Abbotswood. The high-speed network installed by Openreach, is available on an open basis to all internet service providers offering households the benefit of real choice from a highly competitive market."

By the end of 2018, the Council expects to have boosted coverage of superfast broadband in the county from 80 per cent to at least 95 per cent of premises. This represents a significant achievement and is backed by around £30 million of public funds.

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