The last State Aid Public
Consultation (SAPC) undertaken for Superfast Northamptonshire was issued in
late 2020, with the outcome report published in April 2021. This was to
determine the extent of existing and planned commercial broadband coverage in
the county and, therefore, determine where public intervention was needed to
deliver fast and reliable broadband networks in areas without a solution.
State Aid Public Consultation
This public consultation sought views from interested telecoms providers and other stakeholders on the proposed Intervention Area ('White areas') for measures to extend NGA broadband networks (fibre based) being taken forward through the Superfast Northamptonshire project. These are the areas where we believe there are no commercial telecoms plans for superfast broadband supporting line speeds of at least 30Mbps (download) and where public funding is needed to bring forward network solutions.
The maps provided in the consultation were informed by the outcome of an Open Market Review (OMR) undertaken by Northamptonshire County Council in Summer 2019. An OMR enables telecoms providers to confirm their existing and planned commercial broadband coverage, looking ahead three years.
Responses to the State Aid Public Consultation
The former County Council invited telecoms suppliers and other stakeholders to review the proposed Intervention Area maps and coverage data and advise on any changes required.
The 'White' areas on the map comprise the proposed eligible Intervention Area for further measures to be progressed through the Superfast Northamptonshire project. All measures are compliant with the European Commission decision on a National Broadband Scheme for the UK (2016). This forms part of the regulatory framework governing how public funding can be invested in broadband networks. The consultation document and outcome report, including intervention area maps, can be viewed below.