Region in vanguard for superfast broadband tests

TRIALS to bring superfast broadband to rural areas are to be carried out in Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire has been selected as one of four pilot areas to form part of a 550m scheme aimed at improving the poor quality of internet access in Britain’s countryside.

Chancellor George Osborne said he wanted to allocate public money to help the private sector to close the gap that exists in internet access between urban areas and the countryside.

Mr Osborne said that the move “will help encourage the growth of our creative industries as a key part of the new economy we are seeking to build”.

An estimated 11,400 businesses and 220,000 people in North Yorkshire currently lack adequate internet access.

The North Yorkshire pilot could be worth as much as 10m and is to be contracted out to a private company, with the tendering to begin early next year.

The region was selected alongside Cumbria, Herefordshire and the Scottish Highlands after successful lobbying by both North Yorkshire County Council and NyNet, a public and private sector commercial venture which aims to improve internet access in the region.

County Councillor Carl Les, county council executive member for corporate services, said the arrival of high-speed broadband would be as significant in the 21st century as the railways and canals were in the 19th century in terms of economic growth and security.

The news also delighted the Country Land and Business Association which has long campaigned on the issue.

Dorothy Fairburn, its regional director for Yorkshire, said: “Broadband is the key to unlocking the potential of the rural economy and I am delighted that North Yorkshire has been chosen to receive part of the 530m funding.

“With savings of some 1bn a year expected through greater online Government services, it is critical that everyone has access to an adequate broadband service.”

The scheme will be funded by 300m from the BBC television licence fee and 230m from money set aside for the digital switch over.

However, the budget for flood defences is being cut to the tune of more than 170m.

The Environment Department (Defra) and its agencies are also set to lose between 5,000 and 8,000 jobs from their 30,000-strong workforce as the department seeks to make budget cuts of 29 per cent across the board.