Help Shape Our Project to Bring Better, Faster Broadband to Rural Bedford Borough

As the internet becomes more and more central to both our working lives and personal lives, the availability of fast, reliable broadband connections is of ever greater importance to households and businesses. Many residents, particularly in our rural communities, and businesses have stressed to me what a positive difference improved broadband connections would make to them. Rather than wait and cross our fingers that the commercial broadband providers will make the full investment required to bring improved broadband speeds for all at some point in the future, we are working proactively to bring in external investment as soon as possible.

One element of this approach involves working to attract commercial investment here in Bedford Borough. I have lobbied broadband providers myself to encourage them of the benefits of investing more in the Borough, and on the Council's website we have an online petition which I am encouraging people to sign to help prove the demand which exists for faster broadband in our Borough. You can sign up at www.bedford.gov.uk/broadband, where you can also find details of the other key element of this approach, which is to try to draw in up to over £1 million in external funding through a broadband project, including Government and European investment.

The Bedford Borough Partnership Board, which I co-chair, has committed £440,000 to match-fund £440,000 of investment in the borough from BDUK, the government's broadband delivery arm. We will be submitting a joint bid to access this funding alongside Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes in February. We are currently conducting a consultation to help shape the Bedford Borough element of a joint broadband plan which will underpin the bid, and again you can find out more, including how to have your say, at www.bedford.gov.uk/broadband. This is an opportunity for people to help shape the plan to really meet the needs of local residents and businesses, so I encourage everyone to have their say to help us win this investment for the Borough, and in turn to use it to make the most of this opportunity for all.