Better Broadband for Suffolk

Introduction

The Better Broadband for Suffolk programme helped to deliver improved broadband connectivity across the county. The programme started in 2010 and received public funding to make fibre broadband available in areas that were not expected to be covered by commercial upgrades.

Funding and delivery

Openreach were contracted to plan and deliver the work. The funding for the programme came from:

• Suffolk County Council and other local councils
• Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (previously part of Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
• New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (NALEP)
• European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD)

Programme history

In 2013, we achieved 50% superfast broadband coverage in Suffolk.

In 2015, we reached 85% coverage.

In 2020 the Better Broadband for Suffolk programme reached its 100,000th customer.

In 2021, phase 3 of the Better Broadband for Suffolk programme started.

In 2023 phase of the programme was completed in early 2023 and extended coverage in the county past 98% (with speeds of 24Mbps or greater). The Better Broadband for Suffolk programme is now closed.

To see the latest broadband coverage figures in the county, please go to the Think Broadband website.

Short consultation (June / July 2023)

A short list of additional premises is to be included within the Phase 3 Suffolk Better Broadband committed deployment plan. As these changes represented revisions to the outcome of our Suffolk Phase 3 State Aid public consultation, we carried out a further consultation, which ended on 15th July 2023.

Project Gigabit

Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband. Visit the gov.uk Project Gigabit page for more information.