Broadband project in Cumbria hailed a success

A project aimed at providing businesses in Cumbria with broadband has been hailed as a success by the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA).

The scheme was implemented four years ago in an attempt to improve internet access for businesses in the region. From the reports on the project it shows that ten times more businesses have taken up the broadband service over those last four years because of this £20 million scheme.

The reported statistics show that the number of businesses taking up broadband regionally is now 16, 612 which works out to be a 71 percent uptake of broadband services. This is a vast increase on previous take-up rates of just seven percent in recent years. The increase has been credited to a combination of the scheme and the support of the NDWA who have been working with the companies in an effort to improve on the levels of take-up during this period.

Steven Broomhead, the chief executive for NDWA said: “Sectors that were not previously viable in the area are now thriving such as digital and creative, while industries supported by the technology such as tourism have thrived.”

Many of the North Lancashire and Cumbrian based companies were previously considered to be at a disadvantage prior to the scheme beginning. Now, said Steve Broomhead, the people in the region are more familiar with the mobile ways of working and ICT.

Of the business that implemented broadband into their business 30 percent said that there has been an increase in their range of customers and 24 percent of the businesses have said it has made their companies more profitable.

There has also been an increase in the use of mobile technology in the city areas with many people using mobile phones, laptops and notepads and emailing after they finish work.