BT Agrees £24m Durham BDUK Deal

BT has agreed a £24 million deal with Digital Durham to deliver fibre to around 94 percent of premises in County Durham, Gateshead, Sunderland and Tees Valley by 2016, with the help of government funding from the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) initiative.

Durham County Council and Gateshead will provide £9.1 million of the money, a figure matched by BDUK, with BT supplying £5.9 million. The remaining £1.2 million will come from public sector partners in Sunderland and Tees Valley.

BT said the region’s combination of rural, urban and coastal geographies will prove challenging, but those lucky enough to be covered by fibre will have access to download speeds of up to 80Mbps and upload speeds of 20Mbps, through the use of Fibre to The Cabinet (FTTC) technology. As part of the project, all premises in the region will have access to speeds of at least 2Mbps upon completion.

Durham BDUK deal

Digital Durham, a partnership between eight local authorities, said the rollout will transform the local economy and close the digital divide between communities in the area.

“Fast and reliable Internet is becoming more important to daily life and going online will soon be the only way to access some key public services,” said Don McLure, Durham County Council’s corporate director of resources.

“This is a project of huge significance to businesses and local communities. Fibre broadband will enable even our smallest businesses to compete on a level playing field with other companies nationally and internationally. That means businesses can expand without having to relocate and benefit from improving productivity.”

BT has so far won all of the funding available under BDUK, having previously announced partnerships in a number of areas, including Kent, Northamptonshire and Northumberland. It is also likely to win all of the remaining money after the only other bidder, Fujitsu, withdrew from the procurement process earlier this year.

“Reliable access to broadband is an integral part of 21st Century living. It’s much more than streaming video and music or online shopping: it’s increasingly the way business is conducted and services are delivered,” added Bill Murphy, BT’s managing director of Next Generation Access.

“It will enable businesses to compete on a level footing regardless of location – making this large part of the North East a more attractive proposition for business re-locations and start-ups – including the creation of new, high-tech jobs.”

What do you know about BT? Find out with our quiz!