Calls for superfast broadband for ALL North Yorkshire homes and businesses
The Council says 11,000 are still waiting for better internet
North Yorkshire Council is calling for the Government to deliver superfast broadband for ALL homes and businesses.
More than 200,000 households and businesses have benefitted, but 11,000 properties are still waiting for better internet.
The Government is now overseeing the national Project Gigabit programme, with £5 billion in funding for the roll-out of gigabit broadband to the hardest to reach premises in the country. This equates to about five million properties, mostly in rural areas.
North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, has called on the Government to ensure that the remaining 11,000 properties in the county without decent internet connections are linked to superfast broadband networks.
Cllr Les, who is also a board member for the NYnet broadband company which is owned by the local authority and has managed the Superfast North Yorkshire programme, said: “A great deal of work has been undertaken in recent years to ensure that there are far better connections for tens of thousands of people in North Yorkshire.
“I would urge the Government to build on the work that has been already undertaken by ourselves here in the county and make sure that every home and business has access to superfast broadband connections.
“We cannot have a technology divide between our urban and rural areas, which means you are disadvantaged simply by where you live for decent access to the internet.”
The fourth and final element of the pioneering Superfast North Yorkshire project came to an end earlier this year, with the vast majority of properties in the county now on the superfast broadband network.
It is claimed the project, which has been overseen by North Yorkshire Council, has been instrumental in addressing the digital divide, with many rural communities previously unable to access superfast broadband connections that have been available in towns and cities.
The council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include broadband, said: “The importance of having access to superfast broadband cannot be underestimated, as it now part of everyday life for communities and businesses across the nation.
“We are committed to ensuring that our local economy flourishes and that business owners based in the county are able to compete effectively.
“To do that, every home and business has to have superfast broadband, and the Government must ensure that this becomes a reality.”
Find out more about the Government's Project Gigabit here.