29,000 more Derbyshire homes and businesses get faster broadband

Six more communities now benefiting from roll-out programme; 

Derbyshire County Council welcomes new development

BT announced today that faster broadband is now available to a further 29,000 homes and businesses in Derbyshire.
Belper and Tibshelf are among the latest six communities in Derbyshire to benefit from upgrades as part of the roll-out of BT’s next generation broadband service delivered over copper lines. A full list can be found at the end of this release.
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 86 per cent of East Midlands premises and, by next Spring this figure will have reached more than 88 per cent. The new service is available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies providing broadband*.
Councillor Kevin Parkinson,Cabinet Member Regeneration, Derbyshire County Council “I welcome this latest development which makes faster broadband available to thousands more businesses and homes across the county. This kind of investment by BT is vital for the continued growth and prosperity of Derbyshire. “In a fast-changing, increasingly competitive world, faster broadband is tremendously important for local businesses and for individuals wanting to develop their skills and education.”

Owen Moody BT’s East Midlands Regional director said: “Faster broadband will deliver important benefits for people across Derbyshire, 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.

Locations included in today’s announcement.
REPTON
TIBSHELF
WIRKSWORTH
BELPER
CHAPEL EN LE FRITH
WHALEY BRIDGE 

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.