MORE than £700,000 has been pumped into broadband facilities by a council with up to 1,600 homes and businesses set to benefit.

And Braintree District Council says it has a particular desire to see rural areas become better connected as a result of the investment.

The district council's cash injection, which totals £356,000, has been matched by the government taking the total to £712,000.

However, even more than that is likely to be spent in the district because the cash is part of a wider £3.4million investment which will see broadband boosted across the district and county.

Tom Cunningham, Braintree councillor for economic development, said the council wants to improve what the area has to offer to businesses and their workforce.

Cllr Cunningham said: "We’re well connected in terms of location and connectivity but we know how important it is to invest further.

"That’s why we’ve invested an additional £356,000 to reach 99 percent of the district with a focus on rural areas, making it one of the most future-proofed and digitally connected areas in Essex for residents and businesses."

It is part of the Superfast Essex broadband programme and will bring download speeds of more than 30Mbps.

Essex County Council is working with operator Openreach on this latest phase of the programme which will be delivered between October 2019 and September 2020.

The plans are are as a result of funding contributions from Braintree District Council and Basildon Council, matched by the government, as well as existing project savings and a significant contribution from Openreach.

Lesley Wagland, Essex County Councillor and chairman of the Superfast Essex Steering Board, said "It is great to see how much the Superfast Essex programme has already achieved.

"We are concentrating on filling as many of the remaining gaps in coverage across Essex as possible."

The areas which will benefit can be viewed on the Superfast Essex interactive map at www.superfastessex.org/maps.

All properties due for an upgrade under the existing programme or as part of the additional coverage will have a green dot.