£3.8m ultra-fast broadband planned for Portsmouth schools - and businesses could also benefit

SCHOOLS, libraries and community centres in Portsmouth will benefit from ultra-fast fibre broadband, after receiving £3.8m of government funding.
From left, Matt Warman, Cllr Suzy Horton and Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson sign the deal for a 3.9m investment into fibre broadband in the city, capable of 1GB download speeds. Picture: Portsmouth City CouncilFrom left, Matt Warman, Cllr Suzy Horton and Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson sign the deal for a 3.9m investment into fibre broadband in the city, capable of 1GB download speeds. Picture: Portsmouth City Council
From left, Matt Warman, Cllr Suzy Horton and Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson sign the deal for a 3.9m investment into fibre broadband in the city, capable of 1GB download speeds. Picture: Portsmouth City Council

A new infrastructure network will provide schools with gigabit (1GB) internet speeds, after Portsmouth was chosen to pilot the scheme in Hampshire due to its population density.

Gosport and parts of Havant will also benefit from the scheme.

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Matt Warman, minister for digital and broadband, visited the city yesterday.

He said: ‘The speed and reliability means the way people can teach is so much more seamless.

‘I’m delighted that Portsmouth is to benefit from £3.9m from government to give its schools and public services the fastest and most resilient internet speeds around.

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Mr Warman says the infrastructure will also be ‘commercially viable’ leaving it open to future evolution for businesses in the city.

Portsmouth’s cabinet member for education, Cllr Suzy Horton, was particularly optimistic about the benefits the internet speeds would have in the classroom.

She said: ‘The worst thing you can do is have a lesson where the technology fails you – that has an impact on the lesson but also on behaviour and distractions in the classroom.

‘To have a really reliable fast network is a dream for a teacher. You have to be confident in the technology.’