Super fast broadband is coming to Cumbria

The roll-out of super fast broadband to Cumbrian residents and businesses could start as soon as the end of the year, according to Cumbria County Council.

It awarded BT a contract worth around £40m to provide the broadband infrastructure for the county.

The contract needs to be finalised, and after that a timetable can be drawn up to begin work.

It is part of the Connecting Cumbria drive to provide super fast broadband to 93% of the county by 2015.

The Connecting Cumbria project aims to deliver £70m of external investment into Cumbria, including a grant from the government agency Broadband Delivery UK.

It is hoped that the super fast broadband will lead to increased economic activity, helping local businesses to compete and create jobs, in turn bringing money into the area.