SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council has agreed to put forward £1m towards superfast broadband across the district.

The internet will reach a minimum of 95 per cent of properties in the district, up from 53 per cent currently.

The Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) will match the £1m investment by the council, as well as the district’s portion of funding from Oxfordshire County Council’s £25m Better Broadband for Oxfordshire scheme, which launched in August 2013 in partnership with BT.

Over the coming months South Oxfordshire District Council will discuss making a further investment towards the remaining five per cent of homes without superfast broadband in the area. In a similar move, Vale of White Horse District Council has committed £250,000 for its area, which currently sees 68 per cent of homes receive superfast broadband.

Judith Nimmo-Smith, South Oxfordshire District Council’s cabinet member for economic development, property and technical services, said: “We are well aware that many residents and businesses currently experience slow broadband speeds.

“We were very keen to ensure that we wouldn’t end up leaving small pockets of the community at a disadvantage.

“Our £1m investment, together with the BDUK match funding, extends the reach of superfast broadband in South Oxfordshire that little bit further.”