Government aims to allay broadband fears

The government has confirmed it will finalise the superfast broadband budgets to be given to English counties and the devolved administrations next month, as it looks to ramp up the deployment of next-generation infrastructure.

The government pledged £530m last November to ensure that 90 per cent of households in each local authority can access super-fast broadband as part of its Comprehensive Spending Review.

The first wave of the government’s funding was agreed in October 2010 for four UK-based pilot projects – in North Yorkshire, Herefordshire, Cumbria and the Highlands – to establish a model for broadband provision in rural areas. Each project was allocated between £5m and £10m.

Further projects in Devon and Somerset, Wiltshire and Norfolk were unveiled in May 2011.

But there has been fierce criticism from some areas, such as Wales, that the hold-up in announcing further allocations is putting some areas of the UK at a disadvantage.

The Welsh Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into whether Wales is falling behind the rest of the UK in terms of next-generation broadband deployment.

Now telecoms minister Ed Vaizey has promised that full details of the funding to be made available to the devolved governments next month.