Brighton and Hove seeks to participate in the bid for urban broadband funding

Brighton MP, Caroline Lucas wants Brighton and Hove to participate in the bid for urban broadband funding. Urban broadband funding will ensure ultra-fast fibre optic broadband rollout across ten cities in the UK. Brighton MP wants Brighton and Hove to benefit from the funding. Last month, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has listed 14 additional cities that can apply for the funds of £100 million. Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Scotland are included in the new list and they get a chance to benefit from improved broadband networks. The winning cities will be connected with 80 to 100Mbps fibre optic broadband from BT and Virgin Media. The providers have agreed for the roll out in the cities. The areas that are not covered by these private firms will be funded by the government. Ms Lucas wants Brighton to submit their bids for the funding. Four capitals and cities with 150,000 properties can participate in the competition. Around 125,000 households in Brighton and Hove will be able to take advantage of the government funding. Besides, the city has the biggest digital sectors. By offering improved speeds, digital companies in the areas could expand, creating new job opportunities. MP said that the digital companies in the areas are developing at great pace. Ms Lucas hopes Jeremy Hunt will take note of their appeal and agrees to the proposal.