Ulverston businesses call for better broadband

Campaigners in Ulverston have formed a new organisation designed to speed up the rollout of next-generation broadband services in the area.

The Ulverston Broadband Alliance is concerned that businesses in the Cumbrian market town will be severely disadvantaged if super-fast broadband does not arrive soon, the North-West Evening Mail reports.

A spokesperson for BT has said the town, which is located in the Furness area on the edge of the Lake District, does not currently feature in its rollout plans for Cumbria.

Members of the Ulverston Broadband Alliance will now lobby for the introduction of a super-fast broadband network.

"The creative, hi-tech and pharmaceutical industries all need this level of communication to stay competitive," said Paul Jarvis, the man behind the initiative.

Harry Knowles, chief executive of Furness Enterprise and Ulverston resident, told the newspaper: "We regard getting super-fast broadband to be absolutely vital to the economic regeneration of this area."

In July, the town was named as one of the country's top 20 'rural digital trailblazers' by Google. The list was published to highlight rural communities that have seen a huge increase in online economic activity over the last 12 months.