Ramsey, Warboys and Somersham are to share in £4million-worth of Government funding to improve fibre networks in the area.

The funding, which was announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond in his spring budget statement on March 13, will mean that the three Huntingdonshire sites will be among the nine across Cambridgeshire assured of getting help to bring full fibre broadband connectivity.

The successful application for funding was submitted by Connecting Cambridgeshire and was one of just 13 selected nationally for a second round of funding from the local full fibre networks challenge fund by the department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Connecting Cambridgeshire, which is led by Cambridgeshire County Council, works to ensure that people across the county, including in remote and rural areas are well connected digitally.

Councillor Graham Bull, the leader of Huntingdonshire District Council, said: “Huntingdonshire District Council has long been championing the need for some of its smaller towns and settlements to have their need for full fibre connectivity recognised, and I am delighted that with our support, Ramsey, Warboys, and Somersham will now receive this investment.

“Fibre connectivity is considered essential for economic success, and at present the UK lags behind the rest of the world in having full fibre networks. Ramsey, Warboys, and Somersham were identified as lacking in current fibre provision, and through local support, and the work conducted by Connecting Cambridgeshire, it was acknowledged that they met the very constrained criteria for inclusion.”

The Connecting Cambridgeshire partnership bid will see funding for fibre upgrades to a total of 31 public buildings across nine locations in Cambridgeshire, including schools, libraries, fire stations, and GP surgeries.