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High-speed internet: Government warned not to forget rural areas

MPs are warning the government not to forget small, rural communities in the roll-out of high-speed internet connections.

There's a target of rolling out superfast broadband to 95% of the country by 2017. But a report from the Commons committee overseeing rural affairs says the other 5% of householders could feel increasingly cut off.

Anne McIntosh, chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, told Today: "Rather than throwing more money ...at those areas which already have fast speed, lets reallocate the funds to ...those rural communities that really do feel they've been left behind".

Ed Vaizey, minister of state for Culture and the Digital Economy, said "it's a balanced programme but the vast majority of money is going to rural areas".

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