Cash boost to roll out rural broadband

The Government had previously committed to ensuring 90 per cent of the country is able to access high-speed internet by 2015 – a network Ministers said would be the best in Europe.

However, the roll-out of the project into rural areas has been beset by delays. Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander announced extra funding yesterday, along with a new target to reach more rural homes – but not until 2017.

It appears the original 2015 target has now been quietly dropped.

“This Government has already committed to a £1.2bn programme of public investment in fixed superfast broadband,” he said. “I’ve seen first-hand the impact that our investment is making in smaller, rural communities.

“It’s absolutely crucial, if we want to rebalance our economy that it’s not just the biggest cities that have access to the fastest broadband.

“But we want to go further. So I can announce a further £250m to ensure fixed superfast broadband reaches 95 per cent of the population by 2017.”

Mr Alexander added that, using new wireless or 4G mobile technology, almost every home would have superfast internet by 2018.

“We will work closely with the industry to ensure that at least 99 per cent of the UK have access to superfast broadband – whether that’s fixed, wireless or 4G – by 2018,” he said.