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Campaigners say North-East Lincs must not miss out on broadband cash
North-East Lincolnshire deserves a fair deal with its allocation of super-fast broadband funding, campaigners have argued.
Government agency Broadband Delivery UK has allocated more than £8.5 million to improve connectivity in Hull, across the East Riding of Yorkshire and in North and North-East Lincolnshire, with this amount set to be matched by local councils.
It is hoped that this funding will support the rollout of next-generation broadband to 90 per cent of the region's population by 2015, with minimum speeds of 2Mbps for the remaining ten per cent.
Plans are afoot to invest £11 million to improve broadband services over the next three years, although this total could rise to more than £14 million.
However, according to the Grimsby Telegraph, local campaigners have warned that only nine per cent of this sum is set to benefit residents and businesses in North-East Lincolnshire.
This is despite the fact that some communities in the region - such as Habrough and Stallingborough - are stuck with speeds of 0.5Mbps or less.
Labour councillor Darren Billard is working with organisations in Immingham to campaign for more investment in North-East Lincolnshire's broadband infrastructure.
"We just want to see a fairer deal for North-East Lincolnshire," he said.
"Even if these two areas receive the whole of the nine per cent allocated, it still wouldn't be enough to improve provisions adequately."
More than 160 people have already signalled their support for the campaign by signing up to a Facebook group entitled Improve Habrough's And Stallingborough's Internet.
The call comes just days after North Lincolnshire Council (NLC) called on more residents and businesses to back its drive for super-fast connectivity by completing a survey on current levels of broadband provision.
Neil Poole, cabinet member for finance, procurement and IT at NLC, commented: "Traditionally, particularly in the more rural areas, broadband is very slow. And this simply isn't good enough."