£10m broadband boost for remote locations

AN extra £10m of government money for superfast broadband will help business start-ups and job creation in some of the region’s most remote rural areas, Culture Secretary Maria Miller has announced.

The funding, part of the Government’s Superfast BritaiN rollout, sees
Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire receive the lion’s share, while the more suburban areas of Greater Manchester and Merseyside will jointly receive just over £1m.

Lancashire is set to receive £3.84m, Cumbria £2.86m, Cheshire £2.12m Greater Manchester £450,000 and Merseyside £700,000.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: “Superfast Broadband will benefit everyone in the North West – whether they need it for work, to do homework or simply to download music or films. Thousands of homes and businesses now have access and it is helping people with their everyday tasks.

“We want to make sure that Britain is one of the best countries in the world for broadband, and the extra £250m we are investing will help ensure communities around the UK are not left behind in the digital slow lane.”

Christine Gaskell, chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Enterprise Partnership, welcomed the extra funding :”We are receiving the message time and time again from organisations across the sub-region that broadband is becoming an increasingly important element of how to do business. This project is therefore great news for businesses in Cheshire and Warrington.”