Yorkshire and the Humber will be able to boast broadband services accessible to all communities across the region by the end of the year according to Yorkshire Forward.

That would make it one of just a few areas of the UK to have 100 per cent of its telephone exchanges enabled for ADSL broadband services.

Working with BT and Adit, the regional procurement agency, Yorkshire Forward has provided £2.2 million of investment that will lead to broadband being made available in the 24 exchanges that BT had previously announced were not commercially viable.

Four thousand householders and 800 businesses in these areas will soon be able to access the same high-speed broadband services as the rest of the region, and have the option of future services as they are introduced.

Yorkshire Forward has also liaised closely with the community groups that have already established networks in these locations, using alternative technologies, to ensure that they can work with service providers to offer their customers access to improved services.

Jim Farmery, head of technology infrastructure at Yorkshire Forward, said: "The previous lack of established broadband services in rural areas need not be a barrier to new businesses setting up and companies expanding.

"At the same time we are supporting the community groups that have worked hard to establish services in these areas and are going to make sure that they are provided with wholesale access if they wish to expand their existing offering."

Ed Brown, chief executive of Adit for Yorkshire and the Humber, added: "It is vital that all communities have access to high speed communications.

"Collaboration between suppliers of services will mean that rural communities are not disadvantaged merely by economies of scale."