UK VoIP services to profit from £530m rural broadband roll out

UK VoIP solutions could be set to profit from the government's £530 million investment in rural broadband services.

During the Comprehensive Spending Review it was confirmed that homes and businesses in the Highlands, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Herefordshire will be connected to a high-speed broadband network.

Around two million households are expected to benefit from the investment, with those connected also able to access high-quality IP telephony solutions.

The chancellor George Osborne said: "It will help encourage the growth of our creative industries as a key part of the new economy we are seeking to build."

A fibre-optic broadband network will be installed in North Yorkshire, allowing users to access download speeds 50 times faster than conventional broadband.

The technology will be deployed in 27 market towns, with 11,400 businesses and 220,000 consumers set to profit from the move.

The BBC will contribute £300 million towards the cost of the project.