Which has seen in excess of £100 million invested in superfast broadband connections during the past decade.
The fourth and final element of the pioneering Superfast North Yorkshire project has now come to an end, with the vast majority of properties in the county now on the superfast broadband network.
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 phase four contract was awarded to Quickline at the end of 2020 and was delivered in partnership with NYnet, the North Yorkshire Council-owned broadband company.
The Government is now overseeing the national Project Gigabit programme, with funding for the roll-out of gigabit broadband to the hardest to reach premises in the country that would otherwise miss out on access to fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband.
Cllr Les, who is also a board member for NYnet, said: “The need to have access to superfast broadband is now part of everyday life for communities and businesses across the country.
“We have had particular issues in North Yorkshire, which is largely down to the vast rural areas in the county. The superfast broadband programme in North Yorkshire has been instrumental in providing far better connections for tens of thousands of people.
“It has given a strong foundation for attracting new enterprises as well as helping to ensure that rural communities can remain sustainable in the future.”
Quickline CEO, Sean Royce, said: “Working in collaboration with North Yorkshire Council and specifically with NYnet has been key to helping us deliver a faster and more connected future for the region.
“Poor broadband connectivity is a real issue in parts of North Yorkshire, particularly in the deeply rural communities.
“The delivery of the Superfast North Yorkshire programme means thousands more homes and businesses, can now access much improved broadband speeds which will change their lives for the better.”
During the Superfast North Yorkshire project, more than £100 million has been invested from a combination of sources. Grants have been obtained from Building Digital UK which is part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the European Regional Development Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development operated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Quickline and Openreach.
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