Vouchers help to push high-speed broadband revolution

THOUSANDS of homes in Yorkshire have been linked to highspeed broadband in the last two years, the Government has revealed, as it urged people to take up subsidies on offer to get access to state-of-the-art connections.

Almost 500,000 premises across the UK have been connected to the high-speed gigabitcapable network, including 1,000 properties in West Yorkshire.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said it has already issued about 45,000 vouchers in the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, worth more than £90m, to subsidise the cost of building faster broadband for homes and businesses.

The scheme is being targeted at rural, hard-to-reach areas that are not likely to be connected through the commercial rollout of gigabit networks in the near future.

The DCMS said the total number of homes and businesses able to access gigabit-capable broadband had risen to more than 7.5 million.

Digital infrastructure minister Matt Warman also announced a new task force involving consumer and business groups Which?, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Confederation of British Industry to push more people to take up the high-speed connections.

“It’s fantastic to see so many people getting access to gigabitspeed broadband,” Mr Warman said.

“This is thanks to our investment alongside the sterling work of industry,

“Today I urge people in rural communities in the digital slow lane to apply for the immediate financial help available so they can seize the benefits of better connectivity – from making work easier to catching up with family and friends.

“I am also launching a new drive with business and consumer champions to make more people aware of just how beneficial better, faster broadband can be.”