A REMOTE dale is to benefit from a £2.5m technology package which could see scores of jobs and business being created.

Weardale is among several areas of County Durham which will benefit from a scheme to provide the latest broadband links, allowing residents faster and more efficient access to the Internet.

By the summer, it is hoped libraries, community centres, schools and businesses in the dale will be connected through new exchanges sited across the county.

Alan Hodgson, director of e-government services at Durham County Council, said: "If we want to sustain businesses up there, and in particular start growing the knowledge-based businesses, we need to lessen our dependency on manufacturing. This makes broadband essential.

"If people locate out there it will start to regenerate communities and encourage more people to live in the dale instead of people drifting away."

Broadband uses existing phonelines, but operates at ten times the speed of standard Internet connections.

The £2.5m DurhamNet scheme has been set up by regional development agency One NorthEast, Durham County Council and the seven local district councils.

British Telecom is upgrading many telephone exchanges across the country so that broadband can be introduced.

But with no plans to upgrade in remote, rural areas such as Stanhope, the DurhamNet project decided to build its own exchanges with the support of BT, so broadband could be introduced quickly.

Areas to benefit include Barnard Castle, Crook, Bishop Auckland, Spennymoor, Peterlee, Newton Aycliffe, Chester-le-Street, Seaham, Stanhope and Sedgefield.

Maitland Hyslop, of One NorthEast, said that since September 2001, the North-East had been outstripping all other UK regions in broadband growth.

"We cannot allow Weardale to miss out on the opportunity," he said.

* A new website has also been created promoting Weardale and its businesses. For more information access www.wear-valley.co.uk.