NW shares in digital funding

She said she had commited £5m to the Broadband Delivery UK project and had alreadt invested £2.5m in the Next Generation Broadband project and that the North West would benefit from both.

The new £5m investment will be used “exclusively to target rural areas of high deprivation that currently have no fixed wire infrastructure to access broadband to try and target disadvantage in rural areas.”

The Minister stated: “My priority is to target areas of deprivation using the multiple deprivation indicators to give rural dwellers the opportunity to be part of the digital revolution and hopefully benefit through better access to the internet and online services.

“This in turn will give rural businesses and dwellers the opportunity to benefit in real terms from the expansion of the digital world.

“It is fundamental that we put in place this important infrastructure so that rural areas are not disadvantaged. I know rural parts of the North West will be amongst those that will benefit from this investment.”