Birmingham has become one of the UK’s ‘Superconnected Cities’, with more than
800 local businesses being awarded grants to help them acquire a faster and more reliable internet service.
The grants are worth up to £3,000 and are available to businesses to help them upgrade their internet connections, allowing them to be much faster and more reliable.
In addition, around 140 free public wi-fi hotspots have been created in and around the city centre.
Across the UK more than 14,000 small businesses have taken up broadband grants, and free public wi-fi is now installed in more than 1,000 buildings and is available on buses, trams and trains in many cities across the UK.
The broadband grant element, due to finish this month, has been so popular that it has now been extended, and is being offered to an additional 28 UK cities.
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: “I’m delighted that Birmingham has taken up the challenge to become one of the UK’s ‘Superconnected Cities’ as part of the Government programme.
“It’s vital that our cities have the digital infrastructure like superfast broadband and wifi in place to deal with the demands of the digital age. Our investment in Birmingham has delivered a welcome boost to the local economy, and is all part of our long term economic plan.”