Isle of Wight gets superfast broadband

The Isle of Wight is to receive high-speed internet as part of the island’s plan to improve connectivity.

The £70,000 initial investment will see residents of the town of Yarmouth receive broadband speeds three times faster than the current average of 2Mbps. The project was between not-for-profit organisation Natural Enterprise and hosting company C4L, with 50% of the funds coming from central government.

The Isle of Wight is to receive £12m from Broadband UK, as part of its superfast broadband roll-out, and further investment from Rural Community Broadband Fund.

Graham Biss, managing director at Natural Enterprise, said: “Since traditional service providers are limited to providing connectivity in urban areas that their networks can easily reach, the rest of the island’s population of 140,000 must find other means to get online.

“Whether through the actions of local councils or initiatives such as the Rural Communities Broadband Fund, we have to find ways to provide the connections that will stop these people being left behind. In this respect, C4L is providing an essential lifeline for us in helping to make the whole of the Isle of Wight a viable spot to live or do business online.”

Photo courtesy of albertlondon on Flickr