2,000 more Hertfordshire homes and businesses get faster broadband

Hertfordshire County Council welcomes new development

BT announced today that faster broadband is now available to a further 2,000 homes and businesses in Hertfordshire.
Puckeridge is among the latest communities in the East of England to benefit from upgrades as part of the roll-out of BT’s next generation broadband service delivered over copper lines.
The BT investment will make available download speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) – more than double the fastest speed previously available from BT.
The faster broadband is already available to 83 per cent of East of England premises and, by next Spring this figure will have reached more than 85 per cent. The new service is available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies providing broadband*.
Morris Bright, Deputy Cabinet Member for Resources at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “I really welcome the news that 2,000 homes and businesses in Puckeridge are now able to access superfast broadband, as it will greatly benefit the local community.
“Superfast internet connections mean that families can use smartphones, tablets and laptops, all at the same time and still enjoy high-speed connectivity. The improvement will also make a big difference to local businesses and help them remain competitive.”
Dave Hughes, BT East of England regional director said: “Faster broadband will deliver important benefits for people across the East of England, whether they are running a business, working or studying from home, doing the weekly shop online, downloading films and TV programmes or keeping in touch with friends and family around the world. It can all be done better using faster broadband.
“That’s why BT is determined to bring faster speeds to as many homes and businesses as possible, and we are keen to work with the public sector to find solutions for even the most challenging locations.”
This investment in the copper network is in addition to BT’s £2.5 billion roll-out of fibre-based broadband, which will bring even faster speeds to around two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014.
For further information about this news release please contact Paul Hayward in the BT regional press office on 0800 085 0660. All our news releases can be read at www.bt.com/news

Note to Editors
*Once an exchange area has been upgraded for next generation broadband, some service providers automatically upgrade their customers to the enhanced broadband service. People should contact their chosen service provider for more information about the products and services they offer.