Villages south of York are benefitting from faster broadband thanks to a government-backed scheme.

They include Escrick, Crofton, Elvington, Sutton Upon Derwent and Wheldrake.

They are the first to be connected to gigabit capable broadband under a government contract awarded to supplier Quickline by the former Conservative government.

Labour’s new Telecoms Minister Chris Bryant announced the bandwidth boost at Leeds Digital Fest today (26th September).

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The minister promised full gigabit coverage by 2030.

Some 4,500 homes and businesses have benefitted from the Quickline roll-out to date in North Yorkshire. The contract will fund connections for 28,000.

Project Gigabit is targeting remote areas where it would be uneconomic to have a commercial roll-out of gigabit broadband.

Gigabit broadband delivers faster speeds and fewer drop-outs than traditional copper-based broadband and it can handle hundreds of devices at the same time without any buffering.

Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “The digital divide affecting a region as bursting in opportunities as Yorkshire is unacceptable. Since my appointment, I have made it one of my highest priorities to plug digital gaps, and the government and I have vowed to achieve nationwide gigabit coverage by 2030.”

Julian Chalk, Head of Network Engagement and Enablement at Quickline, said: “We’re proud to be delivering gigabit capable broadband to rural communities in the York area as part of the government’s Project Gigabit programme. Our goal is to make an impact quickly and light up these areas as soon as possible.”