Britain’s remotest communities — who have had to wait the longest for broadband — will be among the first to get “superfast” connections, George Osborne will promise this week.
Until now about 1.5 million homes were due to miss out on a government pledge to give 95 per cent of people access to the fastest internet by 2017. The chancellor is expected to expand and accelerate a programme to connect remote homes via satellite and other advanced technologies in the budget this week. It will mean those who have waited the longest should be at the front of the queue for the best connections.
Mr Osborne could also announce new subsidies to upgrade suburban areas where connection speeds have fallen behind as part of an