WHEN the coalition Government came into power, it said it wanted Britain to have the fastest and best broadband in Europe by 2015.
That was quite a claim, and there’s still a lot of work to do to make it happen.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt last week spelled out how much Government money would be released to help upgrade the network.
A total of £294.8 million will be divided up among communities in England, and an additional £68.8 million spent in Scotland.
The aim is to help people who find it hard to get broadband connections already.
The more rural the area, the more funding it will qualify for. Greater Manchester will only get about £990,000, whereas rural Devon and Somerset qualifies for as much as £31 million.
The handouts come with strings, though. Local authorities have to find matching funds – either from their own funds, or raised from third parties.
Ultimately, the power lies with the people. If you think you deserve better broadband, now is the time to make your views known.
Get in touch with local council representatives and urge your neighbours to do the same. Raise petitions, hold meetings, get local businesses to band together. Make some noise.
Communities that make the biggest fuss stand the best chance of securing the essential local funds and getting a share of the Government money.
Why is the Government spending this money anyway, given the troubled state of the economy? Mainly, to save money in the long run.
Government services cost money to run, and there are savings to be made by replacing local offices and the staff that run them with automated websites.
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Thing of the week
:: Amazing photos of dogs shaking off water
http://goo.gl/XMkaf