A North Yorkshire company is to bring its expertise in providing broadband to rural and remote areas to a new European initiative.

Public sector broadband organisation NYnet will participate as a technology consultant in the European Commission B3 – Regions for Better Broadband connection initiative.

EU research found only 60 per cent of businesses and households in remote and rural areas of the EU have broadband compared to over 90 per cent in more urban areas.

The €3.5m B3 project is designed to tackle the difficulties of implementing broadband connections in these disadvantaged areas across Europe.

NYnet was chosen to participate in the B3 project because of its success in bringing ultra-high speed broadband access to North Yorkshire. It now claims to have what could be the fastest public sector network in Europe.

Andy Lister, NYnet marketing director, said: “Ours is a sustainable business model that works, with the public sector forming the hub of the network. This is why the EU wanted us to participate so we can disseminate best practice throughout Europe.”

NYnet was set up by North Yorkshire County Council and a group called Yorkshire Forward with financial backing from the EU.

What was once an area of the UK being left behind because it was not economically viable to provide ultra-fast broadband, can now provide this access to public organisations within the region.

Although NYnet cannot supply households or private businesses with broadband services because of EU regulations, this is also being addressed.

It can sell the extra capacity of this network to internet service providers (ISPs) so market towns and even very rural areas in the region can benefit. NYnet even has plans for areas in the region that are too far from the local exchange which, it says, cannot currently get broadband access.

It hopes that collaboration of existing public services within villages will allow 'piggybacking' of services to solve some communities’ access problems.

It will now receive €320,000 to participate in the EU project. It is the sole UK representative from a consortium of nine countries from across Europe.