PLANS to deliver superfast broadband to homes and businesses across Hampshire have been given a boost after Hampshire County Council signed a second contract with BT.

Phase one of the county council’s multi-million-pound superfast broadband programme is on track to provide 90 per cent of premises in Hampshire with faster broadband speeds by the end of 2015.

So far, an extra 123 cabinets and 55 kilometres of fibre optic cables have been installed, allowing 59,500 premises to gain access to superfast broadband speeds.

Following the new deal with BT, an extra 34,500 properties will have superfast broadband, meaning that 95 per cent of premises across Hampshire will have the service.

Hampshire County Council is also working with district and borough councils, developers, BT and other suppliers of broadband to make it possible for more new homes, especially on large-scale developments, to be able to access superfast broadband from the day they are first sold.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), together with the county council and other local Government partners, invested £10million in the first phase of the programme to reach 90 per cent of premises by the end of 2015 as well as £3.8m from BT.

The county council and DCMS have now made additional funding totalling £18.4m available, along with a further £3.8m from BT to extend coverage to at least 95 per cent of premises by mid-2019 or earlier.

Hampshire County Council leader Councillor Roy Perry said: “It’s very good news for Hampshire that we have been able to push ahead with this significant project and ensure that more people and businesses will have access to superfast broadband services across the county.

“This is crucial if Hampshire is to prosper, helping people get on with their day-to-day lives, whether it is running a business from home, doing their homework online, or shopping or banking via the internet; as well as demonstrating that Hampshire is a good place in which to invest.”

Bill Murphy, BT managing director of next generation access, added: “We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with Hampshire County Council to further extend the availability of superfast broadband in the county.

“BT is committed to making this technology as widely available as possible. This project will build upon the success of our own commercial roll-out in the county as well as our existing partnership with Hampshire County Council.”