Broadband rollout reaches 100,000 homes in Lincolnshire

Some 100,000 properties and businesses now benefit from high-speed fibre broadband thanks to a flagship Lincolnshire County Council project with BT.

The Onlincolnshire scheme has also revealed that RAF Scampton, home of the famous RAF Red Arrows, is one of the areas to recently benefit from the countywide rollout.

A new fibre broadband cabinet that serves the base has been installed and switched on, meaning military families and servicemen and women living there can now access download speeds of up to 80 megabits per second and uploads of up to 20Mbps.

The arrival of faster fibre broadband at RAF Scampton follows months of planning by engineers from Openreach – BT’s local network business – due to the rural location of the new fibre broadband cabinet, and its proximity to an active military base.

The Red Arrows returning to their RAF Scampton base. Photo: RAF Red Arrows

Wing Commander Mike Harrop, Station Commander at RAF Scampton, said: “Essential investment like this in the county’s infrastructure has complemented recent on-station investment at Scampton and has undoubtedly improved the quality of life for the military families living in this part of the county.”

As part of the Onlincolnshire project, more than 450 new roadside fibre cabinets have already been installed and around 500kms of fibre cable laid as part of the rollout – enough to stretch along the main runway at RAF Scampton more than 180 times.

The Onlincolnshire project builds on the private sector’s roll-out of fibre broadband; BT’s commercial rollout has already made high-speed fibre broadband available to more than 228,000 homes and businesses in Lincolnshire.

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for IT at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We’re seeing a real increase in the number of people signing up for superfast broadband, and with the improvements being rolled out, even more will be able to benefit.

“Improved broadband is not only vital for business growth, but for all residents accessing services, including the growing number of silver surfers, and for young people looking to download learning materials.

“The possibilities are endless. So check our website to find out whether you’re in a superfast area, and contact your internet service provider to upgrade your package.”

In February 2015, at the 75,000 mark, the Onlincolnshire project celebrated being ahead of schedule. Liz Truss MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, commended the work to get the county connected.