Northamptonshire to receive fibre broadband speed boost

Northamptonshire's universal fibre optic broadband plans will provide a major boost in connection speeds for the area, according to a local technology expert.

Michael Hurst of Brackley computer repair firm Mousemate explained the current speeds available in communities such as Evenley and Farthinghoe mean it could take "a few hours" to download a film.

"Super-fast broadband will allow you to download a film in the same time it currently takes to download a song from iTunes," he told the Bicester Advertiser and Review. "It will take minutes if not seconds."

At present, many people living in Farthinghoe receive speeds of no more than 3Mbps, while Evenley residents often receive 1Mbps rates despite paying for high-quality connections, Mr Hurst added.

Under Northamptonshire County Council's fibre optic broadband plans, every property in the area will be able to take advantage of 30Mbps speeds by the end of 2017.

The government has agreed to put £4.08 million towards the project.