Bristol chosen to pilot super-fast broadband in £10m scheme

The new "full-fibre" technology will be the fasted broadband seen in the UK. Credit: PA

Bristol has been chosen as one of six areas in the UK to try out the country's fastest broadband.

Businesses, schools and hospitals in the pilot area will be the first to try out the "full fibre" network technology - which provides data at speeds approaching one gigabit per second.

The government will spend around £10 million getting the pilots up and running - as part of a £200 million scheme over the next four years.

It's hoped it will bring a boost to businesses, hospitals and schools. Credit: PA

What will the pilot involve?

The area being tested includes Bristol city, plus Bath and North East Somerset.

New ways of connecting offices and public sector buildings to the full-fibre networks will be tested.

What is full-fibre technology?

The technology takes high-speed cables directly to homes and businesses.

At the moment, most fibre services in the UK connect at the final stage via copper wires - which are slower than full-fibre networks.

The government hopes that the projects will significantly boost the availability of the technology.

Andrew Jones, who is the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said "How we live and work today is directly affected by how good our broadband connection is. Reliable connections enable new industries to flourish, help create jobs and give people flexibility in how and where they work."

The technology will make internet access more secure. Credit: PA

What could it do?

The technology will make internet access more secure and allow more people to work remotely without disruption.

It could mean:

  • Hospitals could share HD quality graphics of medical scans in seconds to improve diagnosis speeds

  • Businesses could reach more customers online, increasing transactions by uploading large files quickly

  • School classrooms could see an increased number of pupils who can stream educational videos at the same time