Economy Minister Arlene Foster has officially launched the £1.9 million Northern Ireland Broadband Fund.

The fund will offer financial support to businesses undertaking technology trials, which offer opportunities for the future commercial rollout of high-speed broadband services. 



The Fund, which is financed under the European Regional Development Fund Sustainable Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013, will have a particular focus on the delivery of broadband services into rural areas.



Launching the fund, Arlene Foster said: "Both the Programme for Government and the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland recognise the strategic importance of the availability of high quality broadband services to the development of the Northern Ireland economy.



"The Broadband Fund represents 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.



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"The delivery of next generation broadband services is high on the agenda of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Fund provides an excellent opportunity to pilot emerging technologies that will inevitably be part of the range of broadband solutions. 



"One of our biggest challenges will be to identify affordable, commercially sustainable solutions for the delivery of services into rural areas.

"That challenge is not unique to Northern Ireland and successes under the Fund carry the potential for global application.



"I would encourage businesses of all sizes to seek assistance from the Broadband Fund and help contribute to the development of Northern Ireland's economic and technological future."



Groupe-Intellex is a Belfast-based business development company and a previous beneficiary of the Northern Ireland element of a UK Broadband Fund, which was managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI).



Eoin Lambkin, Director of Groupe-Intellex, said local companies should not hesitate to seek financial support from the Northern Ireland Broadband Fund to promote the growth and development of broadband services.



"Four years ago, DETI's broadband fund supported a small Groupe Intellex project, enabling us to bring a new world-leading mobile technology from the United States to Belfast," added Mr Lambkin. 


(PR/JM)