8,500 more Leicestershire homes and businesses get faster broadband

Twenty Three more communities in the East Midlands now benefiting from roll-out programme; 

Leicestershire County Council welcomes new development

BT announced today that faster broadband is now available to a further 8,500 homes and businesses in Leicestershire.
Bottesford and Asfordby are among the latest twenty three communities in the East Midlands 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*.
Mrs Lesley Pendleton, Leicestershire County Council's Cabinet Lead for Broadband, said: “This is really good news from BT. I welcome the news that another 8,500 homes and businesses within these three Leicestershire communities will now be able to take advantage of improved broadband speeds.
"More than ever, high speed broadband is crucial in the fast-moving and changing world that we work and live in. It will play a key role in our economic growth and future development and I’m looking forward to the benefits this faster broadband will bring to Leicestershire.”
Owen Moody BT’s East Midlands Regional director said: “Faster broadband will deliver important benefits for people across Leicestershire, 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. BT has already made fibre broadband available at Shepshed.

Locations included in today’s announcement.
BOTTESFORD TE Leicestershire
SHEPSHED TE Leicestershire
BILLINGHAY TE Lincolnshire
NORTH CARLTON TE Nottinghamshire
WOODHALL SPA TE Lincolnshire
ASFORDBY TE Leicestershire
COTGRAVE TE Nottinghamshire
OLD LEAKE TE Lincolnshire
REPTON TE Derbyshire
TIBSHELF TE Derbyshire
WIRKSWORTH TE Derbyshire
CAISTOR TE Lincolnshire
SUTTON ON SEA TE Lincolnshire
BELPER TE Derbyshire
CHAPEL ST LEONARDS TE Lincolnshire
EDWINSTOWE TE Nottinghamshire
SPILSBY TE Lincolnshire
SUTTON BRIDGE TE Lincolnshire
CHAPEL EN LE FRITH TE Derbyshire
WHALEY BRIDGE TE Derbyshire
MARKET RASEN TE Lincolnshire
MABLETHORPE TE Lincolnshire
WADDINGTON TE Lincolnshire



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.