First success for MP's Campaign for Better Rural Broadband

Tim Farron MP has secured the extension of the North Cumbria Broadband pilot scheme to cover the whole county.

The South Lakes MP will be working with local communities, the County Council and Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) to ensure that high-speed broadband is made available to everyone, and not just people in towns and cities. The North Cumbria scheme has seen some big successes, and securing its extension to the rest of the county is a major step to achieving this goal. However, Tim is keen to emphasise that this is no cause for complacency, and he will continue to campaign hard on this issue as well as working to ensure that all communities get the best possible deal. The work for installation and service provision is expected to go to tender in the second half of 2011, and Tim will be meeting with the relevant parties in January to decide how best to proceed.

Tim commented: "This is fantastic news - I am very pleased that my campaign to secure high-speed broadband for rural areas has been successful, and I am very much looking forward to working with the County Council, BDUK and the communities involved to ensure that the best possible deal is achieved.

I have had a large number of enquiries about rural broadband services and it is clear that many homes and businesses feel like they have been ignored in the past by Government and telecoms companies. That this is all about to change is exactly what the rural areas of this country need"