Extra cash for rural high-speed broadband

Members of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive formally approved a further £3m in funding to the Superfast North Yorkshire (SFNY) programme.

It matches £3m offered by the Government’s Broadband UK initiative, and a further £2m from the European Regional Development Fund. In addition, the Superfast North Yorkshire contractor, BT, will add a further £2m.

“This is a massive step forward in our aim to establish high speed broadband accessibility for 100 per cent of North Yorkshire by the end of 2017,” said County Councillor Carl Les, the chairman of the SFNY programme and deputy leader of the county council.

“With this extra funding, we will be able to penetrate to the more remote parts of our very rural county, to communities and businesses which hitherto had little hope of reaping the advantages and rewards of high speed internet access.”

The programme is already on target to complete its initial phase, offering high quality broadband connections to almost 90 per cent of properties, by the end of October.

Newly developed technology, including small cabinets capable of being attached to telegraph poles, will allow the SFNY team to penetrate the more remote parts of the county.

“Access to high speed broadband is vitally important to the economic prosperity of the county, and this new funding means we will be able to ensure that it is virtually universally accessible. Further funding is available and will be released once the impact of this latest £8m has been assessed,” said Coun Les.