Somerset and Devon is set to get a next-gen broadband injection that’ll benefit the areas economies to the tune of £58 million.
A series of rural enterprise hubs are due to benefit from fibre-optic connections in order to “support rural growth and jobs.” A new build site in Highbridge with ten new sites will benefit from Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) connections.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said in a statement yesterday: “We are funding Devon and Somerset’s Rural Growth Network to help ensure that no great business idea is held back by the challenges of a remote location. Local entrepreneurs will have new chances to achieve their business potential, boosting the rural economy and supporting a thriving local community.”
This Highbridge hub is just one of the projects that Devon and Somerset’s Rural Growth Network is delivering as it aspires to create more than 1,300 jobs and boost the local rural economy by £58 million.
In March 2012, the UK Government announced a £15 million investment in five Rural Growth Networks expected to create 3,000 jobs and 700 businesses. Other areas due to receive a rural broadband boost are
Cumbria and Coventry, Durham and Northumberland, Swindon and Wiltshire and Warwickshire.
Image credit: Flickr user Joel Olives
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