Cornwall LEP says BT fibre broadband gives county the edge

BT's Cornwall fibre optic broadband project is giving the county a significant advantage over other parts of the UK, according to the Cornwall Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The £132 million Superfast Cornwall initiative, involving BT, Cornwall Council and the EU, aims to bring next-generation broadband access to at least 80 per cent of homes and businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by the end of 2014.

Chris Pomfret, chairman of the LEP, told the Financial Times: "This is a game-changer for Cornwall. We can have first-mover advantage."

Cornwall Council's economy and regeneration chief Chris Ridgers believes the network rollout could dispel views that the county is isolated from the rest of the country.

However, he warned that fast connectivity is not the only factor in attracting more employers to Cornwall. "It's about helping companies to re-engineer their businesses," Mr Ridgers explained.

Their comments come shortly after BT announced a milestone for Superfast Cornwall, with the 10,000th customer signing up to the fibre optic broadband service.

Arcol UK of Truro has been connected to the technology and has seen its broadband speeds rocket 60-fold since then.