Communities and small enterprises could be the next to benefit from Oxfordshire County Council's plan to spread use of the broadband network, giving faster Internet access.

The Oxfordshire Community Network has been installed in about 40 per cent of schools and 77 per cent of libraries.

An e-mail system, which is being piloted in six schools, will be offered to all schools in the autumn. It is hoped that all of the county's schools and libraries will have been linked by September.

Neil Fawcett, the county council's executive member for learning and culture, said: "Broadband technology will make a real difference to schools. Meanwhile, people who have not been to a library for years, if at all, are already being tempted back in numbers."

Labour county councillor Barbara Gatehouse was concerned that costs were continuing to rise.

She added: "The leaders of the council spend money on broadband whenever they want, but we would prefer to see money spent on respite centres and care for the elderly, which is sometimes reduced."