The Next Generation Broadband (NGB) Infrastructure project, known as Superfast Cornwall, had an initial target to make fast, fibre based broadband available to at least 80% of homes and businesses in Cornwall – this was subsequently extended to 95% of premises by the end of March 2015. BT invested an additional £78.5m to leave a long term legacy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The external report put together containing information by SERIO at Plymouth University and Buckman Associates highlights the benefits of superfast broadband in communities with over 2000 survey Reponses. This is thought to be the most advanced piece of research into the field of fibre broadband in the UK.
Staggeringly fibre had nearly £200m of impact on the Cornish economy with just under 4,500 new jobs created as a result of the project. Over 12,100 cornish companies are now fibre connected and reaping the benefits every day. 79% of the businesses that had been connected for at least a year cited performance improvements with nearly 50% able to develop new goods and services as a result.
The research also cited that fibre businesses demonstrated over four times the amount of growth in turnover than the same period in non-fibre businesses. 49% reported that superfast broadband had helped their business to generate new sales and 25% pointed to new trade overseas allowing Cornwall’s economy to compete globally.
Here in the South West, about 1.9 million homes and businesses are now fibre connected with new cabinets coming online all the time. Currently the project is running at a growth rate of more than 6000 premises a week.
Other statistics reported are that superfast broadband in Cornwall had:
- Saved 79% of businesses time and/or money
- Allowed 71% of employees to work remotely
- Enabled 56% of businesses to work in new and different ways
- Allowed 56% of businesses to grow
- Helped 47% of businesses to develop new goods and services
- Rasied average turnover to an estimated £90,848 a year per connected business compared to £20,922 amongst non-connected businesses.
Find out about Cosmic’s involvement with Connecting Devon and Somerset here.