Latest communities to benefit from multi-million pound superfast Lancashire broadband project are announced

Ten thousand more homes and businesses in line for faster broadband by the end of the year 

Work is underway on the second phase of Superfast Lancashire, the ambitious, multi-million pound project to make superfast broadband available throughout the county, BT and 
Lancashire County Council announced today. 

Engineers have begun planning and building the next phase of the high-speed fibre network in a number of areas across the county, including the communities of Burscough, 
Carnforth, Bolton-le-Sands, Great Eccleston, Scarisbrick and Hurst Green. 

Around 4,600 homes and businesses in these communities will have access to fibre broadband – with download speeds of up to 80 megabits per second and upload speeds of 
up to 20Mbps – once this latest phase of the county-wide rollout is completed before the end of the year. 

This phase will also see substantial investment to extend access to faster broadband in a number of Lancashire communities where it’s already available. 

They include: Accrington, Church, Clayton-le-Moors, Bamber Bridge, Higher Walton, Lostock Hall, Penwortham, Longridge, Nelson, Barrowford, Fence, Poulton and Staining, 
where around 5,500 additional premises will be connected to the new network. 

Engineers from Openreach – BT’s network business – will start work laying around 120 kilometres of optical fibre cable and installing nearly 100 new fibre broadband 
cabinets throughout the Superfast Lancashire Broadband Project area. 

Superfast Lancashire is a partnership between Lancashire County Council and BT - with additional funding from the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme, as well 
as the European Regional Development Fund, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackpool Council - which will bring high-speed broadband to 97 per cent of the county’s 
homes and businesses by the end of 2015. 

County Councillor Jennifer Mein, leader of Lancashire Council Council, said: “Superfast Lancashire is vital for the county and will ensure that our people and businesses can benefit from the next generation of superfast broadband. 

“The latest phase will bring those benefits to 10,000 more homes and businesses by the end of the year. By the end of 2015, 97 per cent of the county will have access to 
faster fibre broadband, putting Lancashire in the vanguard of the digital revolution.” 

Bill Murphy, BT’s managing director for next generation access, said: “As a result of our partnership, superfast broadband is touching the lives of more and more people around 
the county, enabling them to do things in ways they’ve never been able to before. 

“Families can connect to different devices at the same time for homework and leisure – as well as sharing photos and videos - without any frustrating interruptions or 
pauses, while small businesses and homeworkers can interact with colleagues, customers and suppliers more effectively and upload information more quickly.” 

In addition to the rollout of high-speed broadband, Superfast Lancashire has opened a Business Support Centre run by a team of specialists to advise small and medium-sized 
businesses across the county how the technology can be used to enhance their business. 

More information is available from: www.superfastlancashire.com