Almost 30,000 homes in deprived areas are to miss out on high-speed internet because of European rules.
Ambitious plans by Manchester town hall would have closed the digital divide between the city’s rich and poor. A great swathe of houses – particularly in north of the city – either have slow broadband access or none at all, because internet firms say there is too little demand.
Large areas of Harpurhey, Collyhurst and Miles Platting are losing out, along with parts of other areas including Wythenshawe and Beswick.
A council bid for public funding aimed to bring around 28,000 homes up to speed. It would have provided all with ‘superfast’ internet at the very least, with some linked up to the ‘ultrafast’ network – the highest speed available.
The government accepted the plans, and similar ones from 22 other cities, only for the European Commission to block them. European rules ban public subsidy being used to fund infrastructure where – in theory – a company could roll it out instead.
Source: Manchester Evening News
