All of rural Yorkshire must be upgraded to digital fast lane: The Yorkshire Post says

It is heartening to hear that the first Yorkshire communities are now on track to benefit from the roll-out of next-generation gigabit broadband – but there remains a need to ensure no area of the region is missed out.

The initial roll-out is set to help over 62,000 premises in South Yorkshire and what is described as 133,000 properties in West Yorkshire and “parts of North Yorkshire”.

The Government has said the Yorkshire roll-outs will be focused on rural areas, with Project Gigabit aimed at encouraging network providers to deliver better services in areas deemed “commercially unviable”.

But the problem of patchy internet connections in rural areas also applies to much of East Yorkshire and large swathes of North Yorkshire – meaning the Government must not delay in ensuring those places are also selected for the initiative as quickly as possible.

The importance of the issue cannot be understated. As Matt Gladstone, executive director for place for Barnsley Council, says, places chosen for this scheme will now become more attractive locations to live and work, bringing new investment as a result.

The recent North Yorkshire Rural Commission report found the importance of the internet to modern life is such that having a reliable digital connection should be considered a human right and called on the Government to “place a higher priority on digital inclusion in rural communities”.

This project is undoubtedly a promising start but more must be done to ensure nowhere in Yorkshire is left in the digital slow lane.

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