Government reveals first 10 cities to receive super-fast broadband funds

The government has announced £114m in investment across 10 cities to help provide them with high-speed broadband.

The funds represent a £14m increase on the initially planned £100m, with the 100Mbit/s broadband for homes and businesses designed to allow the "super-connected cities" to provide a boost to the economy. The super-fast connection is scheduled to roll out by 2015.

London is set to receive the biggest share of the pot with £25m, with Leeds and Bradford receiving a combined £14.4m.

The 10 cities include the capitals of all four home nations, in addition to six other major urban areas:

• Belfast £13.7m
• Birmingham £10m
• Bristol £11.3m
• Cardiff £11m
• Edinburgh £10.7m
• Leeds & Bradford (joint bid) £14.4m
• London £25m
• Manchester £12m
• Newcastle £6m

Shares of a reduced pot of £50m will be divided among smaller cities throughout the UK.

"Fast broadband is essential for growth, and is key to the country's economic future," said Culture Secretary Maria Miller.

"These 10 cities have produced ambitious and comprehensive plans, which will turn them into digital leaders, and give their local economies a real boost. The new investment will help put these cities at the centre of the digital stage, competing for jobs and investment with the best in the world."

However, Labour claim the announcement is spin on a failure to introduce super-fast broadband throughout the UK.

"This government is disguising its failure to roll out universal broadband by making yet another re-announcement about the super-connected cities programme," said Helen Goodman MP, Shadow Minister for Media and Telecommunications.

"It is also unlikely that the government will meet its target of rolling out super-fast broadband to 90 per cent of premises by 2015," she added.