Are you up to fibre speed for Christmas?

Households and Businesses Can Ease the Christmas Load by signing up for High-Speed Fibre Broadband 

As Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Manic Monday attract headlines, Cheshire’s internet shoppers are being urged to ease the load by upgrading to superfast speeds this Christmas.

Connecting Cheshire says high-speed fibre broadband can make a big difference to the online Christmas experience for the county’s households and businesses during what is expected to be a bumper online festive rush to rival all other years.

Almost 50,000 homes and businesses in the county can already get fibre broadband thanks to Connecting Cheshire – a £28.5 million partnership between BT, four Cheshire, Halton and Warrington councils and the European Development Fund. The partnership and BT’s own commercial investment will give 96 per cent of homes and businesses in Cheshire access to high speed fibre broadband by the end of 2015.

Julian Cobley, Connecting Cheshire’s head of investment said: “Every year we see the number of online purchases and use of the internet growing, increasing the need for faster, more powerful devices. The demand for faster and greater capacity broadband is only going to go in one direction – up.

“Therefore now is the time to check whether you’re getting the best deal and whether you should switch to a faster, fibre-based service. There are some great deals in the market from internet service providers, so while you’re doing your online shopping why not see if you can get faster broadband, and even same money at the same time.”

Mike Blackburn, BT’s North West regional director, said: “With fibre broadband, Christmas shoppers can have less haste and more speed. The Connecting Cheshire partnership of BT and the Cheshire councils has now given some 50,000 households and businesses across the county the opportunity to access high speed fibre broadband. Events like Black Friday, Cyber and Manic Mondays, are now key days for retailers and for shoppers as the buying of Christmas digital gifts continues to soar.”

Sir Howard Bernstein, vice chair of the North West European Regional Development Fund local management committee, said: “Now a year into its roll-out, this programme is already helping local businesses make the most of superfast broadband, improving performance and helping to create and safeguard jobs.

“It is providing a major boost to the Cheshire economy and the North West European Regional Development Fund* programme is pleased to be supporting it financially.”

Retail researchers are confidently predicting a bumper on-foot and online Christmas rush. They say Christmas shopping has been transformed by online shopping and by the number of internet-reliant gifts like laptops, games consoles and smartphones.

According to global information research company Experian, UK consumers made 115 million visits to retail websites in just one day – December 2 - in the run up to Christmas last year*. Among the dates expected to be particularly busy are Black Friday, when stores make surprise discount offers, Cyber Monday when the offers switch online and then Manic Monday on December 8, which saw a 120 per cent increase in traffic to retail websites last year*.

Households can help the digital devices under the Christmas tree – including tablets, gaming consoles, on demand TV and smartphones – run at optimum speed by signing up for fibre broadband.

People may have electronic games, laptops, tablets, on demand TV and phones on the top of their Christmas wish lists. Will they have enough oomph in their internet connection to get the best from these new presents? Fibre broadband can help ensure everything works without buffering and avoids Christmas Day disappointment.

High-speed fibre broadband does not happen by Christmas magic. Broadband customers need to shop around internet service providers and get the best deal for a faster, fibre service.

To check availability visit the Connecting Cheshire website and enter either a postcode or telephone number – www.connectingcheshire.org.uk. Connecting Cheshire is also celebrating its success at the NextGen Digital Challenge Awards for its work rolling faster broadband. Connecting Cheshire was recently named runner-up in the “Urban & Rural Broadband Award.”

* Experian Cyber Monday research http://www.experian.co.uk/marketing-services/about/news/cyber-monday-biggest-shopping-day-ever-seen-in-uk.html

Notes to Editors:
About Superfast Britain
Superfast Britain is a Government investment of £1.08bn in broadband and communication infrastructure across the UK. Run by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, this investment helps businesses to grow, creates jobs and will make Britain more competitive in the global race. The portfolio comprises three linked programmes:

● £780m to extend superfast broadband to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017;
● £150m to provide high speed broadband to businesses in 22 cities;
● £150m to improve quality and coverage of mobile phone and data network services.
Administered on behalf of Government by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), Superfast Britain is transforming Britain by promoting growth, enabling skills and learning, and improving quality of life. For further information: https://www.gov.uk/broadband-delivery-uk

About Connecting Cheshire
The Connecting Cheshire project was launched in April 2013, and is a partnership of four councils – Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington – and BT. It is funded by £13.6m from the European Development Fund, £9m from BT, £4m from BDUK with £1.85m provided jointly from the councils.

The £28.5m project will provide fibre broadband to more than 80,000 homes and businesses. This builds on BT’s commercial investment so that 96 percent of Cheshire –around 400,000 premises – will have access to speeds of up to 80mbps by the end of 2015.

The project will reach those areas outside of any commercial broadband roll-out using a partnership approach to ensure all communities have access to the fastest possible broadband speeds. For more information visit www.connectingcheshire.org.uk

*About ERDF
The project is part financed by the North West Competitiveness Programme, European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information visit www.gov.uk/erdf-programmes-progress-and-achievements