Broadband South Gloucestershire project update

The project will be delivered with support from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK). BDUK is a body set up by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to establish a national framework contract for superfast broadband which local authorities can use to procure (call off) their own local projects from. South Gloucestershire Council is working in partnership with Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council on this project. The South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Swindon partnership is one of four lead projects that will be first in the UK to use this framework.

Our previous update detailed how the launch of our procurement was dependent upon two critical factors:

1. The completion of the national framework contract for superfast broadband, by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK)
2. Agreement for State Aid from the European Commission to BDUK

BDUK has now completed the national framework which means that we were able to launch our call-off procurement on the 29 June. The revised timetable is:

• Issue of the Invitation to Tender (29 June)
• Award of contract (October, pending State Aid award)
• Survey work and development of implementation plan (autumn / winter 2012)
• Contract work commences early 2013

The agreement for State Aid is progressing. This will need to be completed by BDUK and the European Commission over the next two to three months and is a requirement of our ability to award the contract in October. Once the contract has been awarded we anticipate that three to four months of survey and design work will be undertaken. This will provide us with an implementation plan showing where and when the network will be built. At this stage it is not possible to say what level of detail this implementation plan will provide.

Further information is available on the council’s website: www.southglos.gov.uk/broadband