A MULTI-MILLION pound project to bring superfast broadband to Wiltshire has been announced by Wiltshire Council.

The council, in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council, has agreed the £35.6million deal with BT to enable 91 per cent of homes and businesses in the county to have access to world class broadband speeds by the end of March, 2016, with work expected to start this autumn and the first exchanges due to go live in spring, 2014.

The project builds on BT’s commercial roll-out of fibre broadband across the two local authority areas.

The partnership is the latest to be announced under the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme. £4.6million of the funds will come from BDUK, £15.5million from Wiltshire Council, £2million from South Gloucestershire Council, £12.8million from BT and £0.74 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

John Thomson, Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet member for communities, said: “Today’s announcement will see Wiltshire becoming one of the most fibre-enabled counties in the country, after struggling with slower broadband speeds in the past. “This project will really put the county on the map, attracting more businesses, helping existing ones grow and enabling rural properties become less isolated.”

A video with more information on the project can be seen at youtube.com/watch?v=rpmuakdGGyg.