Launched February 2004
Updated November 2005
BT, Yorkshire Forward, North Yorkshire County Council, Business Link York and North Yorkshire.
The partnership is the fifth and sixth with Yorkshire Forward, and within the two local authority areas of North Yorkshire, it covers around 5,000 homes and 700 businesses in a largely rural location.
The commitment is backed up by grants of up to £300 towards a year's subscription with any broadband service provider regardless of which type of broadband technology is installed or which company supplies it. The grant is funded by Yorkshire Forward through the DTI's Broadband Fund. At the time of the launch Jeremy Walker, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council said:. "The county council wants our citizens to have access to a full range of services using broadband technologies and the internet to ensure that a "digital divide" between urban and rural areas does not open up.
"Our short term goal for this partnership is to work towards providing 95 per cent coverage focusing on business and community access and use, in the next three years in North Yorkshire"
Following the launch of the partnership, BT announced plans to bring broadband to other exchanges in the region. With the four exchanges in the partnership, together with others having broadband installed, go live, high speed internet technology will be available to over 99 per cent of households and businesses across North Yorkshire by summer 2005.
In conjunction with regional partners, BT continues to take every opportunity to increase awareness amongst residents and businesses of broadband and the benefits it can offer.
Relevant link: http://www.broadbandyh.com