A recent report has shown that a recent twenty million pound broadband scheme that was launched in Cumbria to provide connectivity to users and businesses has proven a success.

Industry officials have recently reported that a broadband scheme that was launched in the Cumbria region recently has proven to be a success. The scheme was aimed at providing broadband access to a greater number of consumers and businesses in the area, and is said to have cost around twenty million pounds.

According to recent reports the scheme, which has been called Project Access – presumably after its aim of increasing access to users and businesses – has resulted in the provision of Internet connections to nearly one hundred percent of business and consumers in the area.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency initially set up the scheme in order to try and improve Internet access and connectivity for businesses, and increase the number of businesses in the area that had access to high speed Internet. However, the scheme was quickly extended to include both businesses and private consumers, and has been a big hit.

An official from the NWDA stated: “The benefits reach far beyond increasing productivity. The perception of the sub-regional area in which to do business has improved, as too have the information communication technology skills of staff, many who also benefit from the opportunity of mobile working. Sectors that were not previously viable in the area are now thriving.”

Following implementation of the scheme a survey of participating companies was carried out, and around thirty percent of these firms said that they had enjoyed increased custom as a result of the higher speed Internet connections. Another twenty five percent said that the increased speeds had resulted in greater productivity. As a result of the scheme ten time as many businesses in the area now have access to broadband compare to before.