Bamburgh residents urged to signal interest in ultrafast broadband

Broadband supplier, Openreach, is mailing local addresses this week with an invitation to fill in an online questionnaire.

They can then pledge their Rural Gigabit Voucher at https://www.openreach.com/connectmycommunity

Eligible addresses will be able to claim up to £7,000 for a business and up to £3,000 for a residential property through the Borderland top up scheme.

Cllr John Mackey told Bamburgh Parish Council: “This is a demand based project so we have to make sure that people don’t just voice their demand but initiate it online.”

"The objective is to improve broadband speeds to above 100Mbps in rural areas to ensure they don’t get left behind.

"Currently the maximum speed in Bamburgh is 69Mbps so we’re clearly in that situation.”

The average UK broadband speed is 64Mbps.

"The way the scheme would work is that residents, be they individuals or companies, would claim ‘vouchers’,” explained Cllr Mackie.

"The amount of interest generated would create a fund which ultimately would be available to the supplier to install the ultrafast broadband.

"The supplier is Openreach and they have put together a communities project. In this particular case they are not just going to wait for residents to apply, they are going to put postcards through everyone’s door in Bamburgh in the week commencing September 28."

The mailshot will also take in outlying areas including Budle Bay, Brada Hill and Burton.

"Essentially the postcards are going to indicate a questionnaire online and linked to that people will generate their interest which will create vouchers,” said Cllr Mackey.

Following concerns raised by a local resident, the parish council is also to write to Berwick MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan about the quality of 4G data capacity in Bamburgh.

Cllr Mackey said: “Apparently, Anne-Marie Trevelyan has already raised the issue of certain areas in Northumberland which are almost blind with regard to 4G and the suggestion of iNorthumberland is that we should add our concerns to her office to be progressed.”

More details are available at http://www.borderlandsgrowth.com/Digital-Voucher-Scheme

People can pledge their voucher at www.openreach.com/connectmycommunity

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