OXFORDSHIRE will be at the 'forefront of digital connectivity in the UK' thanks to a Better Broadband programme.

Oxfordshire County Council said it would be looking to 'unlock' more Government funding to roll out superfast broadband to more homes.

It comes after the Government said the success of the national programme meant a total of up to £645m will be made available over the coming years to help take superfast broadband to the most remote and hard to reach places in the UK.

Minister for Digital Matt Hancock made the announcment which could see more than 900,000 extra UK homes and businesses gain access to superfast speeds after the end of this year, taking superfast coverage to 98 per cent of the nation over the next few years.

A spokeswoman for the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire Programme said: superfast broadband coverage in the county was already at 94.97 per cent.

She added: "Oxfordshire is well positioned to be at the forefront of digital connectivity in the UK.

"Over 100,000 people in Oxfordshire are now using fibre broadband enabled by the Better Broadband programme, with take-up of services now at 49 per cent.

"Working with BT, Oxfordshire County Council has very recently been able to extend the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire roll-out to include an additional 4,500 premises using the contract mechanism.

"We will be examining the potential to unlock more funding, as outlined by the Government and look forward to exploring all available options."

Superfast connections of 24Mbps and above allow people to watch TV on multiple devices at the same time, or let children do homework while parents do online banking and shopping.

The Government says the technology is ideal for many small businesses too, allowing bosses to run websites and buy and sell online.