A COUNCIL-owned broadband provider is now offering ultrafast speeds using full fibre to rural business parks across North Yorkshire.

NYNet, launched in 2008, has worked solely within the public sector providing gigabit broadband to schools, hospitals, GP surgeries as well as local authorities where speed and reliability are essential.

But thanks to £3.6m from the North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, NYNet can extend its services, starting with Thirsk Industrial Park.

NYNet’s Chief Executive Officer, Alastair Taylor, said: “Our provision of gigabit broadband to schools has recently put the county in the top three in the country for school broadband and we hope that the expansion of our service into business parks will help put the region on the map for digital services and capabilities.”

The programme will potentially benefit more than 1,000 businesses across the county, enabling them to stay competitive and enhance the economy and attractiveness of North Yorkshire as a place to invest.

Executive Member for Access Cllr Don Mackenzie said: “The move to expand into the private sector and support rural business is excellent news for our local economy and comes at a time when many organisations are looking to relocate away from big cities, with advances in technology such as this making that possible.”