Schools to act as hubs for lightning-fast internet in Melton area

Leicestershire is the first county in the country to roll out GigaHubs through the Government’s £5 billion programme to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband in hard-to-reach areas of the UK.

The scheme will connect thousands of rural public sector buildings including schools, GP surgeries, libraries and other public buildings using a total of more than 40 hubs across the county.

Primary schools at Ab Kettleby, Asfordby Hill, Great Dalby, Harby, Long Clawson, Old Dalby, Somerby, Waltham On the Wolds and Seagrave have been earmarked locally.

Councillor Pam Posnett, County Hall cabinet member for broadband, said: “The GigaHubs programme will really benefit our rural communities.

"Residents in rural areas will be able to benefit from greater broadband speeds, helping families, businesses and people working from home.

"We’ve already delivered superfast broadband to more than 75,000 premises, taking the total to 97 per cent within the county, but championing GigaHubs means we can push on.”

Following the £1.55m Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) funding in Leicestershire, the hubs will see properties in the surrounding area be more commercially attractive to broadband suppliers. This should make it easier for residents to switch to gigabit broadband, giving them speeds of up to 1,000mbps - the fastest connectivity currently available.

Darren Butterick, enterprise and public sector drector at BT, said: “Gigabit connectivity will transform the way people connect, interact and do business for years to come.  

“This future-proofed infrastructure is a once in a generation enhancement and will play a significant role in making sure rural parts of Leicestershire feel the significant benefits that full fibre connectivity brings with it.  

“We are proud to be part of this project which will also help bolster the services offered from some of the area’s key community hubs.”

The project has started and will be completed by 2024 – once each site has been updated, residents will be able to sign up to fibre community vouchers with local suppliers to bring gigabit-capable broadband to more properties in the area.