Northumberland County Council has submitted a local broadband plan to the government

The time is not far when Northumberland county also can hit the joyful days of browsing faster broadband networks. The county authorities have submitted the final bid to the government promising to improve the broadband speeds in the region.

The move is expected to bring dramatic changes to this rural region in the country, which, according to latest estimate, has areas with lowest broadband speed in the country. The penetration of internet use is also minimal with at least 1 in 5 persons have not yet used internet. The improved connectivity is expected to raise the economic prospects of the region.

Last year, the government had proposed to forward an indicative amount of £7 million to the county, on the terms that the county council will contribute an equivalent amount to it, for improving the broadband connectivity and speed in the region. The long term improvement plan will be brought out by the county council alongside a commercial partner.

The move will be an elaborate one, in terms of upgrading infrastructure also. Since the process of upgrading telephone exchanges, cabinets and laying fiber optical cables replacing the present copper cables are expected to take a lot of time. People are warned that the roll out of the super fast network will take some considerable time.

While looking for a potential commercial partner, the county council is aiming at spreading awareness among the public about the need to contribute to the Local Broadband Plan. They assume that sharing resources, finding low cost solutions to problems and raising capital collaboratively will be crucial in the faster implementation of the network.