Kent's Internet Boost

Kent and Medway are getting nearly £9.9million to improve broadband connections for rural communities.

The money is part of a £530m fund from the government to ensure that the UK has the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015, with 90% of homes and businesses across the UK having access to it.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Superfast broadband is vital to our economic growth, to the future delivery of public services and has become an integral part of our everyday lives.

"But some areas of the UK are missing out with many rural and hard-to-reach communities suffering painfully slow internet connections or no coverage at all.  We will not allow some parts of the country to get left behind in the digital age."

It comes after a survey earlier this year found the Kent village of Farningham to have the slowest internet in the UK, with download speeds of just 1.3MB. And after Kent County Council applied for £42m pound worth of funding to implement super-fast broadband across the county.

But, the Government says each county's funding allocation is based on the cost of taking superfast broadband to those premises that would not receive it from the market alone.  It is not based on the number of people living or working in a county.

The Culture secretary says: "We have a team of people waiting to help councils secure their share of this funding. They are ready to work with your local representatives to develop an action plan to bring broadband to all of Kent.

"So what can you do to make this happen? Speak to your local councillor.  Tell them you need decent internet access.  Tell them your business needs broadband. Ensure your representatives work hard to get their action plan in place and secure your share of this money".