Boost for Northern Irish broadband

Businesses in rural areas of Northern Ireland may soon be able to take advantage of VoIP solutions after a £1.9 million broadband fund was launched by Arlene Foster, the economy minister.

The fund is specifically aimed at businesses utilising new technologies that offer the opportunity of future commercial roll-out of high speed broadband, particularly in rural areas.

She said that the fund was an "opportunity to further develop Northern Ireland's already world-class telecommunications infrastructure, to support the growth of local businesses and efforts to attract foreign direct investment to the region".

Next-generation broadband was high on the Northern Ireland Assembly's agenda, she said, and the fund provided an "excellent opportunity to pilot emerging technologies that will inevitably be part of the range of broadband solutions".

One person who has no trouble getting broadband is a 75-year-old Swedish woman - she has the fastest connection in the world.

Sigbritt Lothberg, from Karlstad, can get speeds of 40Gbps, but has only just begun using a computer.

She is the mother of "internet legend" Peter Lothberg, who arranged the connection.