ANOTHER £20m is to be pumped into improving the broadband network across England's biggest county.

The announcement came after the Minister of State for Digital, Matt Hancock, spent two days in North Yorkshire to see the benefits of the county council's pioneering work in spreading high-quality broadband across the area.

For the next phase of the project, Superfast North Yorkshire, the authority will invest more than £12m from its funds, supported by a further £7.3m from the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) and £1m in European funding.

Mr Hancock said: “Our rollout of superfast broadband has already reached another 165,000 homes and businesses with Superfast North Yorkshire.

"This is a commendable achievement as a result of the county council’s forward-thinking approach. However, more needs to be done.

"More than £20m is now being invested in taking superfast speeds to more local premises, helping make sure people have the fast, reliable and affordable broadband that they need for the digital age.”

County council leader Carl Les said: “We have made the most progress of all the organisations that are part of the BDUK programme and have the best track record.

"It’s a priority for us to make North Yorkshire an even better place to live and do business. Superfast broadband also benefits education, as, increasingly, pupils and students need the internet for their schoolwork and studies.

“We are well placed to achieve our target coverage of between 95 and 96 per cent of premises and we applaud the public of North Yorkshire for their fantastic uptake of superfast broadband, which shows how important it is for rural communities that want to be sustainable. For many businesses and residents, superfast broadband is a way of achieving that sustainability."

However he added: "We realise there is still work to do, including investment to target communities that don’t currently have coverage.

"In places that aren’t viable for commercial providers, we have stepped in, going beyond our statutory obligations, because we are committed to helping our most isolated residents and businesses to get a good-quality connection.”

During his visit Mr Hancock saw how a 3D printing company in Ripon is thriving with the help of superfast broadband. GoPrint3D is a leading company for affordable, professional 3D printers, selling machines, supplies and printing services and the Minister opened the company’s new £500,000 3D printing showroom.