Broadband appeal to digital industry

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt will today urge broadband providers to work together to help meet the Government's target of universal and superfast broadband.

Yorkshire presents one of the biggest challenges in achieving this goal, having the lowest rates of Internet connection in the country and swathes of rural areas still waiting for access to broadband of any kind.

Mr Hunt said: "Our broadband network is as fundamental to Britain's success in the digital era as the railway network was in the industrial age.

"By the end of this Parliament, this country should boast the best superfast broadband in Europe and be up there with the very best in the world."

Broadband Delivery UK, the group set up to help achieve the Government's aims, is to look at the barriers to providing a basic level of broadband to the mainly rural communities that are not currently connected.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will also publish a report today which explores digital companies sharing resources to cut the cost of building new networks.

Mr Hunt added: "There is currently nothing to stop telecoms or utility companies reaching commercial agreements to share their infrastructure, but very few agreements currently exist."

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said rolling out high speed broadband access was the most important step the Government could take to keep rural communities sustainable.

Today's announcement follows a campaign launched on Monday by Internet entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox to get everyone in Britain, of working age, online by 2012.