More than 200,000 now have access to superfast broadband in North Yorkshire
It's thanks to a £100m project
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses have benefited from superfast broadband links through the first scheme of its kind in the country which has seen millions of pounds of extra funding invested due to the scheme’s success.
More than 200,000 households and businesses have been given vastly improved internet connections in the ambitious project which was overseen by North Yorkshire Council and has seen in excess of £100 million invested in superfast broadband links during the past decade.
The project 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.
A report which is due to be considered by the council’s executive details how an innovative partnership with BT has helped pump more public money back into improving internet connections to even more premises due to the success of the scheme.
Public subsidies of more than £27.5 million have been paid back to date to the council by BT after it emerged that there was a sufficient commercially viable demand for the project.
North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, 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.
He said: “The success of the superfast broadband project in North Yorkshire has transformed people’s lives. As a council we took the decision that this work was vital for our communities, and we have now seen how much this pioneering move has paid off.
“We have heard from our residents who told us that they were considering moving house to where broadband connections were better, but the project has now allowed them to remain in their home.
“We have benefited tremendously from the provision in the contract where the public subsidies have been paid back to us, and this has been a first of its kind in England for a scheme sponsored by the Government’s agency, Building Digital UK.
“The project has allowed us to lead the way in bringing state-of-the-art broadband links to often deeply rural locations, benefiting both homes and businesses.”