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Superfast broadband funding bid for Telford and Wrekin Council
Telford and Wrekin Council is set to submit a bid to Broadband Delivery UK to bring improved internet speeds to the local area.
However, to be able to secure this significant sum of cash, the amount needs to be matched by money raised through the public sector, Shropshire Live reports.
Currently, the council has managed to gather £1.4 million towards the rollout of superfast broadband, but it is thought it will need to raise £2.2 million overall. This is because the cost of the work to actually connect premises is estimated to be an additional £200,000.
A bid is to be submitted to the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership to try to secure the remainder of the funding, but it could take some months for a decision to be made.
Cabinet Member for Development Councillor Charles Smith said the arrival of the superfast technology in Telford and Wrekin would "encourage greater ecommerce and interaction through digital communications".
The cabinet is set to meet with BDUK on 24 July 2014 to submit its application, which, if successful, will see local premises able to connect to internet speeds of 24Mbps or more.