§ Mr. SoamesTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress in the implementation of broadband in(a) Mid Sussex and (b) West Sussex. [119659]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 16 June 2003]: South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is committed to supporting pilot projects looking at broadband coverage across Sussex and delivers a county-wide integrated strategy. Significant activities include:
a grant to West Sussex county council to identify and support a number of Wireless Broadband Community Projects—consortia of local businesses being formed to share the costs of a wireless broadband service in areas where ADSL broadband is not available; and113 grants across Sussex under the Remote Area Broadband Inclusion Trial (RABBIT) to pilot the use of satellite and wireless broadband solutions as an alternative to ADSL broadband.