Connecting Shropshire celebrates successful first year

Connecting Shropshire, a fibre broadband rollout programme that has been working to enable residents and businesses in the area to connect to the high-speed service, is set to celebrate its first anniversary this week following a successful 12 months in operation.

Since its launch last year, the programme has connected approximately 6,500 homes and businesses to fibre optic broadband, laying over 80,000 metres of cable in the process, the Shropshire Star reports.

In the past two weeks alone, those based in Albrighton, Halfway House, Cosford, Minsterley, Westbury, Yockleton and Pontesbury have all gained a connection to high-speed fibre broadband.

Following such a successful first year, it is hoped the rollout scheme will continue to connect even more residents across Shropshire to superfast broadband.

Russell Griffin of Telford and Wrekin Council - one of the areas not currently covered by Connecting Shropshire - commented: "The council is now working on a business case which will look at whether coverage can be increased from the 89 per cent of residential and business premises that currently have access to fibre broadband."