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Broadband fund gets a joint bid
TWO city councils have come together to submit a joint bid for broadband cash.
The local authorities in Leeds and Bradford want a cut of the government’s £100m Urban Broadband Fund.
The joint bid is for £15m and the successful applicants will be announced in Chanellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s Budget Speech on March 21.
The money is earmarked to allow ultra-fast broadband access with speeds of 80-100Mbps to be put in place.
If successful, the money will fund super-fast broadband access to 88,000 homes and more than 16,000 businesses.
This will then be rolled out to the nine other districts within the Leeds City Region area.
Full wireless coverage will also be put in place in both Leeds and Bradford city centres, and along key transport corridors into and between both cities.
Coun Keith Wakefield, leader of Leeds City Council, pictured, said: “The two cities’ economies are integrally linked and are the driving force for the wider growth of the city region economy.
“It therefore made absolute sense to prepare a joint submission, and the funding we have bid for will enable us to transform our economies and set the standards for international competitiveness.”
Coun Ian Greenwood, leader of Bradford Council, said: “Creating a super-fast broadband network will help to attract investment and jobs to Bradford and the wider city region in coming years.
“These ambitious proposals will support both existing and new businesses, as well as local residents, to take advantage of the opportunities that enhanced broadband connections will bring.”
The government unveiled the Urban Broadband Fund last November. The £100m is in addition to the £530m Broadband Delivery UK Fund for extending broadband networks into remote areas.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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