Britain’s most Southerly community goes superfast Superfast fibre broadband reaches the Lizard Peninsula

Superfast fibre optic broadband has just arrived at one of the UK’s most iconic locations, the Lizard Peninsula. 

Mainland Britain’s most southerly point, already famous for its links with Marconi and Telstar, is the latest place to benefit from the £132 million Superfast Cornwall partnership. Around 700 businesses and homes on The Lizard and the neighbouring villages of Cadgwith and Ruan Minor now have access to the high-speed technology. 

James and Donna Glosby, landlords of the Top House Inn, which is Britain’s most southerly inn, were among the first to upgrade when superfast broadband became available in The Lizard. Donna said: “We’re super excited to get superfast broadband. Being located in the most southerly village, we are exposed to the elements and at times we have struggled to get any connection at all. 

“It’s going to be a huge benefit to be able to offer a stable and fast wi-fi connection for our customers as we see so many who come in because we offer it for free. Superfast may give us the edge over our competitors and tempt new customers to give us a try. It will also help us and our customers find information more quickly online. And ordering supplies online should now be much quicker.” 

Superfast Cornwall, a partnership between the European Union, BT and Cornwall Council, aims to roll out faster broadband across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by the end of 2014. 

Since the programme started in 2011, fibre-optic broadband has become available to more than 45 per cent of Cornish businesses and homes, and over 17,000 customers have already been connected. Take-up of superfast broadband on The Lizard is climbing rapidly, with many businesses having placed orders for the new faster service. 

Residents interested in connecting to superfast broadband can find out if the new service is available in their area by checking their line at www.superfastcornwall.org/line-checker. As the Big Build to bring fibre-optic broadband to Cornwall continues, the area will become one of the best connected rural locations in the world, with positive impacts on the local economy. 

Nigel Ashcroft, programme director of Superfast Cornwall for Cornwall Development Company, which manages the initiative, said: “I am thrilled that superfast broadband has reached The Lizard. As the most southerly point of mainland Britain, this is a huge milestone for Superfast Cornwall, which has already achieved some world firsts in terms of delivering a rural broadband infrastructure. The latest enablement at The Lizard demonstrates our commitment to improving broadband connectivity across the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, whether in towns and business hubs or in isolated rural communities.” 

Ranulf Scarbrough, BT’s Superfast Cornwall programme director, said: “The arrival of superfast broadband opens another exciting chapter in the story of an iconic location already famous for its links with Marconi and Telstar. Some of the most exciting experiments of modern times have taken place on The Lizard, such as Marconi’s first live transatlantic radio message and the first live transatlantic television pictures via the Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station. Now we are seeing a new communications technology introduced, which also has the ability to transform the lives of people and businesses. Take-up of fibre optic broadband at The Lizard is very encouraging with 15 happy customers already connected and a further 46 orders to be completed.” 

Carolyn Rule, Cornwall Councillor for the area which includes the Lizard Peninsula, said: “This is such an exciting time for the Lizard community. Faster broadband speeds will provide a huge benefit to local businesses. Through faster and more reliable speeds, businesses will be able to work more efficiently and their opportunities for doing business globally will increase tenfold.” 

The Superfast Cornwall partnership expects to make fibre optic broadband available to at least 80 per cent of premises in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by the end of 2014. Alternative technologies, such as satellite and advanced copper solutions, will be used to boost broadband speeds in locations where optical fibre is not currently viable. 

Up to £53.5 million of the funding is coming from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Convergence Programme, the largest ever single European investment in broadband infrastructure, whilst BT is investing up to £78.5 million. 

ENDS