Do you live somewhere with really, really slow internet? Has it taken you a god-damn age to simply load this page? Well, we might have good news. Seven counties across England are set to get ‘lightning fast’ broadband. That’s right: lightning fast.
A government initiative called Project Gigabit will see 97,000 homes get speedier internet across Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. The project is targeting places the government says are ‘hard to reach’ for commercial companies.
All of which sounds pretty good, right? If it all works out, Project Gigabit certainly will be a good thing for loads of Brits. While, in total, the initiative will cost as much as £5 billion, this round of contracts is apparently worth about £181 million.
According to the BBC, these are some of the areas set to soon benefit from Project Gigabit.
- Millbrook and Haynes (Bedfordshire)
- Maidenhead and Windsor (Berkshire)
- Bow Brickhill and Stoke Goldington (Buckinghamshire)
- Hertsmere, Hitchin and Harpenden (Hertfordshire)
- Bosworth and Charnwood (Leicestershire)
- Ecton and Greatworth (Northamptonshire)
- Kenilworth and Rugby (Warwickshire)
Work on the project could begin this summer and you can find out more details on the government website here.
Time Out and the future
The future’s not all doom ‘n’ gloom, y’know. There’s loads to look forward to in the coming months and years, from train stations trialling contactless ticketing and Edinburgh getting a (somewhat controversial) £2 billion tram route to the launch of a supersonic jet between London and New York that will take just three-and-a-half hours.
Did you see that this Manchester cocktail bar is officially the best in Britain?
Plus: 21 more British restaurants have just been awarded Michelin stars.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.