Suffolk calls for further broadband boost

Representatives from Suffolk County Council and a group of local MPs have visited Communications Minister Ed Vaizey in an effort to increase fibre optic broadband coverage in the area.

MPs Tom Yeo, Peter Aldous and David Ruffley were joined by the council's Leader Mark Bee, who is also the Chair of the Better Broadband for Suffolk initiative, which aims to improve connection speeds throughout the region.

There is a target to provide access to 85 per cent of the county before the end of the project in 2016, which would require a connection to be installed at a further 100,000 properties.

But the group of officials are lobbying for the government to raise the coverage target to 90 per cent in order to provide residents in some of the most rural areas with a greater level of connectivity.

Mr Bee said: "We had a very positive meeting with Ed Vaizey and I'm excited about the potential to extend the programme even further."