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Cumbria successfully connected
Thursday 25th September 2008, by Daniel King
A £20 million scheme to supply broadband to residents throughout Cumbria has been hailed a success.
Project Access has now provided internet connections to 99.8 per cent of all businesses and citizens in the region.
It was initially set by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) to help businesses and increase the number of firms with high-speed connections.
Consequently the NWDA aimed to provide faster internet access to both public and private sectors.
Over seven out of ten firms in Cumbria and parts of north Lancashire now have a broadband connection.
This is ten times the proportion prior to the project and correlates to over 16,000 businesses.
A survey of companies that have taken advantage of the higher speed internet connections found that 30 per cent believe their range of customers has increased, while one-quarter say their firms are more profitable.
Furthermore, one-quarter identified a direct link between growth in their business and better online capabilities.
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of NWDA, commented: "The benefits reach far beyond increasing productivity.
"The perception of the sub-regional area in which to do business has improved, as too have the information communication technology skills of staff, many who also benefit from the opportunity of mobile working."
"Sectors that were not previously viable in the area are now thriving," he added.
In related news, Ofcom has stated that it wants all new homes to be equipped with fibre optic connections within the next decade.
This will enable subscribers to achieve speeds of up to 100Mbps, although it is thought that the cost of phones, cable TV and broadband may go up.
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