YORKSHIRE will be one of the few regions in the UK able to boast broadband services accessible to all its communities by the end of the year.

Only the North-East and Northern Ireland have 100 per cent of their telephone exchanges enabled for ADSL broadband services.

Broadband is ten times faster than so-called dial-up services and can be accessed via standard telephone line - known as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) - or by other means such as cable, wireless or satellite.

Working with BT and Adit, the regional procurement agency, Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, is spending £2.2 million towards broadband being made available in the 24 exchanges that BT had previously announced were not commercially viable.

These include Brandsby, Burnsall, Goathland, Hackness, Langtoft, Lockton, North Grimston, Nunnington and West Heslerton.

It opens the way, at last, for high-tech businesses relying on speedy downloads to consider relocating to rural areas

Yorkshire Forward has also liaised closely with the community groups that have already established networks in these locations, using alternative technologies, to ensure that they can work with service providers to offer their customers access to improved services.

Jim Farmery, head of technology infrastructure at Yorkshire Forward, said: "This investment means that almost every village and town in Yorkshire and the Humber has access to a minimum of ADSL broadband services and are well placed for future technology when it becomes available.

"The previous lack of established broadband services in rural areas need not be a barrier to businesses setting up and companies expanding. At the same time, we are supporting the community groups that have worked hard to establish services in these areas and are going to make sure that they are provided with wholesale access if they wish to expand their existing offering."

Brian Greenwood, BT regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "BT is pleased to have been selected to work with Yorkshire Forward and Adit to extend the availability of broadband services to the remaining areas of the region."

Ed Brown, chief executive of Adit for Yorkshire and the Humber, said it was vital that all communities had access to high speed communications.

Updated: 12:59 Thursday, March 17, 2005