A new project will see super-fast broadband provided to households across South Yorkshire, it has been announced.

The Advanced Digital Institute has secured funding which will be used by digital firm Pace to link inner-city apartments and social housing projects to the new network introduced by Thales UK.

According to the Yorkshire Post, hopes are high that the project will help the government reach its target of having universal broadband in place by 2012.

Mark Rooney, group account director at Pace, told the newspaper its technology would give people in apartment blocks access to digital TV and broadband for the first time.

He added: "We're therefore delighted to be providing our expertise to help continue to extend digital access to all."

Over £90 million was spent on introducing fibre-optic broadband across South Yorkshire earlier this year and guaranteed download speeds of 25Mb are now available through the network, which is expected to reach 97 per cent of homes in the region.