Cities land £14.4m for faster web

A joint bid by Leeds and Bradford for cash that will help them become “super-connected cities” has been 100 per cent successful, it was announced today.

They will now receive £14.4m of Government funding for investment in broadband internet.

Connection speeds 40 times faster than basic internet set-ups will be made available to an extra 25,000 residential and 7,000 business premises by 2015.

Free wireless connectivity will also be put in place in “key strategic areas” of Leeds and Bradford city centres.

Commuters will benefit too, with free on-board wireless being established on the Leeds-Bradford transport corridor.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: “The new investment will help put the cities at the centre of the digital stage, competing for jobs and investment with the best in the world.”

Leeds and Bradford have been handed the full level of funding they sought when they submitted their bid in February this year.