The completion of a £100 million super-fast broadband scheme in South Yorkshire has been delayed, it has been reported.
According to the Sheffield Star, the public-funded scheme is designed to deliver fibre broadband to 97 per cent of homes and businesses across the county.
But an apparent lack of demand among local residents now jeopardises the completion of the project.
Some 80 per cent of the South Yorkshire population will have access to super-fast broadband by 2012, but the new network is unlikely to be extended further unless subscription levels increase.
Digital Region, the agency responsible for the rollout, said income from the scheme has to date fallen "well short" of that expected.
Chief Executive David Carr said the firm would be looking to achieve its original coverage goals, but it is now "a question of timing".
Rural villages to the south and west of Sheffield – those situated on the edge of the Peak District – could be among those to miss out on high-speed fibre broadband.
Comment