Autumn Statement reveals plans for ten super-fast connected cities

Chancellor George Osborne has outlined plans for the government to spend tens of millions of pounds on rolling out ultra-fast fibre optic broadband in urban areas.

In his Autumn Statement, Mr Osborne revealed £100 million will be spent on rolling out super-fast mobile and fixed-line broadband services in ten UK cities.

Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London have all been included in the project and a further six locations are also set to benefit, with the identity of these places to be decided by a nationwide competition.

"The government is funding plans to bring super-fast broadband to 90 per cent of homes and businesses across the country and extend mobile phone coverage to 99 per cent of families," the Chancellor added.

Elsewhere in the announcement, Mr Osborne said a consultation will be opened into the possibility of making it easier for telegraph poles to be used in super-fast broadband rollouts.

The Conservative-led coalition is looking at reducing the cost of deployments by up to 50 per cent.