East Sussex launches tender for fibre broadband project

A new tender has been launched by East Sussex County Council as it seeks to put in place a new fibre broadband infrastructure to support super-fast internet services across the region.

The local authority is searching for partners and investors for a project that is set to be worth between £50 and £100 million and will deliver faster connection speeds to East Sussex, Brighton and Hove.

Government policy organisation Broadband Delivery UK has already pledged £10.64 million to support the scheme, while £15 million will come from East Sussex County Council itself.

Significant levels of private sector investment are also expected to be received for the project, which will support UK efforts to create Europe's best super-fast broadband network by 2015.

The council's tender states that the project will "enable sustainable access for at least 90 per cent of all eligible premises and faster downstream connectivity of at least 2 Mbps for all eligible premises, by no later than 2015".

This comes after a £6.26 million fibre broadband scheme in neighbouring West Sussex was greenlit earlier this month.