MIDDLEWICH residents and businesses in rural areas could benefit from a multi-million-pound boost to Connecting Cheshire’s superfast fibre broadband roll-out.


The new technology will become available to thousands more homes and businesses around Cheshire.


Another 10,000 Cheshire homes and businesses will have access to fibre broadband by summer 2017 as a result of the £6.5m project signed between four Cheshire councils including Cheshire East Council and BT for a second phase ‘Superfast Extension Programme’.


The Connecting Cheshire announcement will take fibre broadband coverage in the county to more than 400,000 homes and businesses when BT’s commercial roll-out of the technology is also taken into account.


Work will start on the planning of the additional network in autumn 2015.


Cllr David Brown, Deputy Leader of Cheshire East Council said: “I am delighted we are able to extend the coverage of the Connecting Cheshire project to reach even more premises, particularly in our rural areas, where we know so many people are struggling with slow and unreliable broadband speeds.


“This is great news for small businesses, students and people of all ages who need and rely on excellent-quality broadband for so many of their modern-day needs.”


As part of this second phase, more than £600,000 from the Rural Community Broadband Fund will be targeted at especially difficult places to reach in Cheshire.