A £1.1m plan to increase broadband access across Northern Ireland has been unveiled by Communications Minister Arlene Foster.

The contract will deliver broadband services to those customers in the province who cannot access broadband via telephone lines.

Ms Foster awarded the contract, which will ensure the continued delivery of broadband services to all of Northern Ireland, to Avanti Communication Group Plc, following a competitive tendering process.

Announcing the award of the contract the Minister said: "It is essential to ensure that everyone in Northern Ireland can continue to have access to broadband services, no matter what their location.

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"The importance of broadband is increasing in economic, social and educational terms, providing the consumer with access to a wide variety of on-line services, activities and businesses with the ability to improve business efficiency, productivity and globalisation of their products and services."

Avanti Communications Group plc is a London-based supplier of satellite communications services with experience in the delivery of broadband services for business, institutional and residential customers.

Avanti has successfully delivered a number of rural broadband projects including the Rural Broadband Aggregation Project for the West Midlands Regional Development Agency. It is currently rolling out the Broadband Outreach Programme is Scotland.

(PR/JM)