Oxford,
02
September
2016
|
12:44
Europe/London

High-speed fibre broadband is the toast of South Oxfordshire village

Cuxham is the first community in South Oxfordshire to benefit from the second phase of Better Broadband for Oxfordshire roll-out.  The tiny, picturesque village, near Watlington, has become the first community in the South Oxfordshire district to benefit from the second phase of the multi-million pound Better Broadband for Oxfordshire programme.

The roll-out, which is part of the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme, is led by Oxfordshire County Council and BT, supported by South Oxfordshire District Council and OxLEP (Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership).

Cuxham residents, businesses and community groups were today (2 September) joined by John Howell, MP for the Henley constituency, to celebrate the village getting access to faster fibre broadband for the first time.

John Howell MP welcomes progress

John Howell MP said: “The provision of faster broadband connections is a key issue in our communities. I am regularly contacted by constituents frustrated at the speeds they can access - including residents of Cuxham. Broadband is important for everyday living; for education, for banking; for access to Government Departments and much more. I am delighted that Cuxham is now benefitting in this second phase of the roll-out and look forward to seeing many more communities connected.”

Landlord of historic pub is ‘over the moon’ with new technology

It was a case of out with the old and in with the new for Vaska Battley, owner of the village’s sixteenth century Half Moon pub, one of the first customers to opt for an upgrade.

Vaska said: “My customers expect to be able to access the internet when they come in for a meal or drinks. Since we upgraded to high-speed fibre broadband we’ve noticed a huge difference - now it doesn’t matter how many people want to go online at the same time because the new fibre broadband service is stronger and more reliable.”

Around 75 homes and businesses in Cuxham are now able to access high-speed fibre broadband as a result of the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire programme.

Councillor Nick Carter, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for Local Government, Business & Customer Services said: “This is yet another step forward for high quality broadband in Oxfordshire. I’m sure residents and businesses in Cuxham will welcome these positive changes in the same way that others elsewhere in the county already have.

“The Better Broadband for Oxfordshire programme has significant further coverage planned in this location over the next twelve months including additional work in Brightwell Baldwin and Brightwell Upperton currently served from this new Cuxham cabinet. Meanwhile Britwell Salome and Christmas Common to the south east have also just been enabled, initiating a sequence of further coverage for Pyrton, Northend, Pishill, Russells Water and a number of rural villages in the area.”

Since the roll-out began more than two years ago, Better Broadband for Oxfordshire has made superfast fibre broadband available to 67,500 county premises.

Paul Bimson, BT’s regional partnership director, said: “More than 275,000 households and businesses across Oxfordshire are now able to access faster fibre broadband as a result of BT’s own investment and the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire roll-out. Increasingly, we’re seeing how fibre broadband is changing people’s lives for the better, which is why we’re working hard to reach more remote areas of the county, as quickly as possible.

“Whether people are working from home, using the internet for leisure or learning, or simply wanting to get online whilst relaxing at their local pub, like here in Cuxham, everything is easier, faster and better with fibre broadband.”

Residents and businesses choosing to upgrade will be able to get download speeds of up to 80 megabits per second (80Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 20Mbps*. Because the Openreach network is ‘open,’ local people can choose from a wide range of fibre broadband providers.

Residents and businesses can follow the progress of the roll-out via the project website: www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk

-ends-

Notes to Editors

* These are the top wholesale speeds available from Openreach, BT’s local network business, to all service providers; speeds offered by service providers may vary.

About Better Broadband for Oxfordshire

Better Broadband for Oxfordshire is a partnership between Oxfordshire County Council, BT and BDUK. For further details to go: www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk