RIDDING North Yorkshire of a potential digital divide between town and country is the aim of a £500, 000 broadband funding boost announced this week.

No digital divide pledges County Council

North Yorkshire County Council has pledged the money to ensure the cost of establishing broadband telecommunications throughout the county is covered.

The council's executive approved a proposal that the money should be provisionally allocated to NYNET - the Broadband Transformation Project for North Yorkshire. It means the NYNET partnership is now free to proceed with detailed planning, to bid for grants, and to invite tenders.

Bosses at the authority describe the move as being designed to ensure that rural areas can benefit from, and exploit, all the advantages of high-speed internet access.

All of North Yorkshire's telephone exchanges are now broadband enabled following a major cash injection over the last few years from Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward. However, due to the rural nature of the county, many homes and businesses are located too far from the exchange to benefit from the higher connection speeds that broadband brings to those living and working in urban areas.

If broadband connection is left solely to private telecoms companies, we will probably find that York and Harrogate get a world-class service, but that the more rural areas of North Yorkshire will lag far behind

Carl Les - County Councillor

"Our agreement in principle to this allocation will be a major boost for the next stage of the project," said county councillor Carl Les, the executive member with responsibility for financial services.

"If broadband connection is left solely to private telecoms companies, we will probably find that York and Harrogate get a world-class service, but that the more rural areas of North Yorkshire will lag far behind.

"By pledging this money, we hope to ensure that all of the county benefits from broadband, and that there is no digital divide between town and country.

"We believe universal broadband access is vital for the encouragement of entrepreneurial and creative talent throughout our county - whether it's in the urban centres, or in the villages."

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