Cities That Could Be “Super-Connected” Declared by UK Government

One of the main aims of the government is to get more and more Britons connected to the Internet. That was one of the major reasons for the introduction of the Broadband delivery UK. The aim of the BDUK venture was to offer access to universal broadband to the whole of the UK with at least 2Mpbs speeds. The BDUK is also trying to ensure that all broadband providers maintain the same level, and at the same time try to provide super-fast broadband connectivity throughout the country by 2015.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer declared in his autumn statement that they would be including 100million pounds as grants to ensure that the broadband programme moved on. The government through its national Infrastructure Programme report stated that it would invest 100 million pounds to make up to 10 “super-connected cities” across the UK with 80-100Mpbs broadband and city-wide, super-fast speed mobile connectivity.

The government has put forth the list of the fourteen cities that would qualify to bid for more grants to ensure that their city gets “super-connected”. The cities included are Birmingham, Bradford, Liverpool, Glasgow, Bristol, Sheffield, Nottingham, Manchester and Leeds. London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff, the four capitals had been declared previously.

Secretary of state for Culture, Olympics, media and Sport, Mr. Jeremy hunt said that converting towns into “super-connected cities” would allow them to take up competition with some of the world’s number one digital cities.

The government had put on print the information regarding how the bidding would be which the cities would have to undergo to avail of the grants. The proposals that they would have to present would have to incorporate their strategies for citywide super-fast mobile connections and the means they would adopt increase the development in their community when they achieve the super connectivity rank.

This proposal would have to reach the government on or before the 13th of February 2012. February also happens to be the month when councils across the UK are expected to present their respective proposals to achieve funds from the BDUK kitty too.

Mr. Hunt also added that high speed broadband connectivity was a basic necessity for the growth of their economic future and success. He said that if businesses were to improve, the people at large would have to be connected with the innovative facilities. He said that a few of the local offices could find this quite a challenge to achieve their targets, but he insisted that he would not let the country lag in terms of super-fast broadband facilities.