Private sector could buy public South Yorks fibre broadband scheme

South Yorkshire Digital Region (SYDR), the public sector-funded fibre optic broadband project, could be sold off to a private sector internet service provider.

Phil Coppard, chief executive of Barnsley Council and a driving force behind the scheme, told the Yorkshire Post that plans could be afoot for the regional development agency's (RDA's) 50 per cent share of SYDR to be sold.

The move could occur when the Yorkshire Forward RDA is wound up next year, he explained.

Mr Coppard stated: "The default position is that the RDA assets go back to the Department for Business - so they inherit it. The discussion is, what happens then?"

If the government opts to bring in a private sector partner that would be "no bad thing", the Barnsley council chief added, although he admitted it is currently too early to tell if this will happen.

Officials on the Digital Region project are aiming to bring fibre optic broadband to 1.3 million people in South Yorkshire.