The first homes have been connected in North Yorkshire as part of a major government broadband initiative launched earlier this year.

Hull-based Quickline has delivered fast and reliable broadband to Escrick, which follows it winning a government contract as part of its £5bn Project Gigabit.

The village, between York and Selby, has 380 households and very few local services.

But it was the first village to be supplied full-fibre broadband from Quickline under the scheme.

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The contract, awarded in February, will see Quickline supply 28,000 hard-to-reach homes in York and West Yorkshire.

In addition to those already supplied, the rest of Escrick is due to receive cutting edge XGS-PON technology for their broadband, which offers speeds of a ggabit and beyond.

Emma Tonkins, the first customer to be installed, said: “We have so many devices at home that are connected to the internet and we probably watch streaming services more often than regular television now so when we lose picture quality and get buffering it is quite frustrating.

“We just want to know that our broadband is reliable. We use the internet the same as anyone else, regardless of where we live and need to be able to rely on it working all the time, especially as more and more services move online.”

Sean Royce, CEO at Quickline, said: “Winning the government Project Gigabit contract was a huge honour for us at Quickline but importantly, we want to ensure we make an impact quickly. That means we are building straight away, connecting customers straight away and taking communities out of the slow lane faster than other providers.

“As a dedicated rural provider, we know there are thousands of people who have long been underserved by decent broadband and it is imperative this is addressed as soon as possible.”

He continued: “We are delighted to be able to make a difference to the lives of the people living in Escrick just three months after signing the contract and will continue to deliver our network quickly and efficiently to those hard-to-reach communities most in need of improved connectivity.

“When you consider there is no mains gas supply to Escrick, it really does emphasise the type of rural communities where we build and that Project Gigabit is tackling.

“This milestone underscores Quickline’s absolute commitment to bridging the digital divide and empowering rural communities across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.”

Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said: "It's fantastic to see our multi-million-pound investment in Yorkshire now delivering top-of-the-range broadband upgrades in rural areas previously stuck with snail's pace speeds.

"This is only the beginning of our plans for Yorkshire. Work is now underway to bring lightning-fast, ultra-reliable connections to dozens more villages and hamlets across the region, supercharging our mission to drive economic growth and expand opportunity for people wherever they live or work."