Cumbria villages urged to show fibre broadband demand

Residents in two Cumbria villages have been urged to demand fibre optic broadband access or risk missing out on a major upgrade.

Cumbria County Council's cabinet is set to meet next month to approve final plans for the rollout of super-fast broadband in the area, but Bootle and Holmrook have already been identified as being in hard-to-reach locations.

That means additional financial support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Rural Community Broadband Fund will be needed to bring faster internet access to these areas, reports the North-West Evening Mail.

Brian Crawford, South Copeland broadband hub administrator for the Connecting Cumbria project, told the newspaper that the villages will need to "step up their support" if they wish to enjoy the benefits of fibre optic broadband access.

While broadband speeds in Bootle are not especially poor at present, it has been named in the seven per cent of communities that need special funding to boost their connectivity, he explained.

"They've got to fill in a questionnaire to make sure they justify it," Mr Crawford stated.