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Cash must go to rural areas first ; E RIDING: Farmer welcomes news of Government's broadband funds [Hull Daily Mail (England)](Hull Daily Mail (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) InShort Farmers in the East Riding have welcomed news of an Pounds 8.5 million Government investment in superfast broadband in rural parts of East Yorkshire. AN EAST Riding farmer who campaigned about internet speeds has welcomed plans for superfast broadband in rural areas. Michelle Brumfield took part in an experiment in which a pigeon carrying a memory card was tested against how long it took to upload a video to the web. Now, she has welcomed an Pounds 8.5 million Government initiative to bring superfast broadband to homes and businesses in East Yorkshire's outlying areas. 1 Ms Brumfield, of Furrows Farm, said: "It's absolutely brilliant news, but I hope the money will be going to people in rural areas where it is much needed and it doesn't just go on improving existing facilities in the city and towns." Last year, Ms Brumfield started uploading a video to the YouTube website at her farm in Cherry Burton at the same time as a pigeon was sent off, carrying the same video file. The bird arrived in Boston in Lincolnshire after a 75-minute flight while the upload was just 30 per cent complete. It finally took her more than five hours to upload it on YouTube. Ms Brumfield, 49, said: "The Government encourages farmers to use the internet to fill in forms for taxes and wages, but hadn't backed it up with investment in faster broadband. It holds us back." Farmer Edward Duggleby, of Beswick, said: "Time is at a premium and it's quite frustrating when you have to wait for pages to download. It's just not quick enough. "Farmers are not in the office all day with the computer ticking over, so you often have to just hang up and do something else." Isolated residents benefit from faster connection THE inhabitants of one of East Yorkshire's most isolated spots, Spurn Point, struggled for years with dial-up connections. But last year, its RNLI crew and their families became closer to the rest of the world with highspeed broadband through a Pounds 25,000 scheme to install fibre connections by NextGenUs. Dave Steenvoorden, coxswain of the lifeboat, said: "Overall, it's been pretty good. "We are in a very isolated spot, but now we use it for online shopping and keeping in touch with friends and family." (c) 2011 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |