Wessex FSB praises Hampshire fibre broadband funding

Government funding for fibre optic broadband in Hampshire has been welcomed by a local business organisation.

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition has allocated £8.4 million to the county in a bid to bring faster broadband services to remote and rural communities.

Responding to the news, Neil Eames from the Wessex Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) told the Daily Echo that the newly announced funding will be especially beneficial to firms that are based outside of towns and cities.

"Small businesses ... have been promised action to deal with slow broadband and the notspots - where there is no broadband access - but they have previously seen little action," he remarked.

Mr Eames added the FSB had backed the local council's efforts to secure the funding.

Earlier this week, the government announced it had awarded £294.8 million set aside from the licence fee to improve broadband connectivity in England, while £68.8 million was allocated to Scotland.