Report casts doubt on West Yorks super-fast broadband plan

A new study has warned that plans to deliver super-fast broadband to homes in West Yorkshire are under threat due to funding difficulties.

The report by Leeds City Council claimed it is facing a shortfall of £100 million that will prevent up to 3,500 properties from receiving high-speed internet unless the gap is filled, the Yorkshire Post reports.

Many of these will be in remote areas of the county, the research claimed, with 1.1 per cent of homes in the area set to miss out on upgrades under current proposals.

It also stated the government has deemed the extra cost of including these properties in the rollout of broadband is "not viable".

However, a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport stated it has received a commitment to universal coverage by 2015 from the local authority and it expects this goal to be met.

Problems with the rollout of fast broadband may not be limited to West Yorkshire, as it was recently revealed the initiative is set to miss a December deadline for the start of the procurement process by around three months, due to ongoing negotiations with the EU.