Around £1.4 million ($2.2 million) of public sector cash is being used to help bring broadband to Yorkshire and the Humber region.

The nattily-titled 'Broadband Yorkshire & Humber' - an initiative sponsored by the region's development agency and part-backed by European money - is using the cash to provide training and support for 1800 businesses to hook up to broadband.

Most of those exchanges earmarked for investment should come online in November, at which time it's estimated that nine in ten of the region's households - along with some 10,000 businesses - will have access to ADSL.

In a statement, Susan Johnson, executive director, business development at Yorkshire Forward, said: "Broadband Yorkshire & Humber hits all the right buttons for Yorkshire Forward, helping us to grow the region's businesses through the improvement of infrastructure.

"This initiative will extend both the broadband footprint and choice of technology to many more businesses and households in the region," she said.

Those exchanges getting ADSL are:

Humber - Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Barton-upon-Humber
South Yorkshire - Rawmarsh, Thrybergh, Thorne, Bentley and Askern
West Yorkshire - Steeton, Cullingworth, Burley in Wharfedale, Addingham and Thornton
North Yorkshire - Pickering, Bedale, Great Ayton, Old Catterick and Catterick Camp

All the South, West and North Yorkshire exchanges go live for broadband services on 19 November, except Great Ayton and Cullingworth, which are due to be plugged in on 25 February next year, following engineering works to upgrade the network connections to these exchanges. ®