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Alan Duncan MP welcomes approval of Rutland broadband plans
The county council has been given the green light to push forward with its government-supported broadband scheme.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced last week that Rutland is one of five areas that will lead the rest of the UK on the rollout of public-funded broadband infrastructure, along with Devon and Somerset - which applied together - plus Norfolk, Suffolk and Wiltshire.
Some £710,000 has been allocated to Rutland County Council's (RCC's) project, which will bring high-speed broadband to an estimated 99 per cent of homes and businesses in the region by 2013.
Broadband Delivery UK, the government body responsible for achieving the government's broadband policies, explained it wants to use Rutland as an example of the impact that fast internet connectivity can have on a relatively small rural area.
Rutland will be used as a test to ascertain whether there is sufficient consumer interest in smaller-scale broadband projects to make them commercially viable.
Responding to the news, MP for Rutland and Melton Mr Duncan pointed out that he and the local authority had "fought hard" to transform the county from a broadband notspot to a broadband hotspot.
"This is a coup for Rutland," he stated. "In a time of change for the county, this funding represents a shot in the arm for local businesses and communities, and will underpin growth in the county.
"Rutland can face the future with confidence."
Deputy leader of RCC Terry King revealed council chiefs are currently in the final stages of appointing a preferred partner to work alongside the local authority on delivering the plans.
He insisted the benefits of high-speed broadband should not be underestimated, adding: "This is one of the most important projects for the local economy that the council will deliver in the next two years."
The amount of funding awarded to each county was based on need, with the government considering the cost of bringing next-generation access to properties that are not served by commercial rollouts.