Sci-Tech Daresbury has become the first location in the Liverpool City Region to install an ultra-fast type of broadband which will double capacity for 150 businesses based there.

Launched last year by Liverpool City Region (LCR) mayor Steve Rotheram, LCR Connect is a 212km full fibre, gigabit-capable network spanning the six local authority areas of the Liverpool City Region, including Halton.

It is a £30m Joint Venture 50% owned by the LCR Combined Authority, in partnership with full fibre provider ITS Technology Group and construction partner NGE, which is managing the build and roll-out.

By connecting to the new infrastructure, bosses at the science and tech campus said it has doubled its connectivity bandwidth for existing tenants, and now also provided the inbuilt flexibility to upgrade  connections at very short notice.

John Downes, Chief Executive Officer of Langtree and director of Sci-Tech Daresbury said: “The full fibre solution is transformational, immediately doubling our capacity and delivering bandwidth that will grow with our requirements.

"Additionally, the ethos of LCR Connect as a private public venture aligns well with our own and means that local authority services will benefit from the returns it makes.”

With more than 30 per cent of the network already built, LCR Connect is on track to be completed next year. Experts estimate that, with 100% full fibre coverage across the city region, the economic boost could be worth up to £1bn, creating thousands of local job and training opportunities.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the LCR, added: “The past few years have shown just how important good quality digital connectivity has become in every aspect of our lives – nowhere more so than in business.

“Any successful, ambitious economy requires the modern, thriving infrastructure that will help it to keep pace in an ever-changing world.

"LCR Connect is a game-changer for our region, offering businesses access to the fastest internet speeds in the country, boosting productivity, and creating thousands of jobs and training opportunities in the process.”