SUFFOLK MPs have backed a campaign to bring superfast broadband to the county.

Dan Poulter, MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, joined Tim Yeo, the MP for Suffolk South, and Therese Coffey, MP for Suffolk Coastal, to support the Better Broadband for Suffolk project at a meeting with the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce.

Andy Wood, chairman of Choose Suffolk, said: “For thousands of individuals and families in our county, poor or non-existent broadband links to the ever expanding World Wide Web remain a problem which must be rectified.

“To have the backing of our Members of Parliament is both welcome and very important to the campaign becoming a reality.”

The Better Broadband for Suffolk group hopes to push the importance of superfast broadband to all communities in the county.

Chris Soule, chairman of the Suffolk Federation of Small Businesses who helped stage the meeting last week, said: “As part of the team working on the need to bring better broadband to Suffolk, we know the task ahead, we know what we have to do and we are ready to go.

“To have the backing of our national representatives is an important milestone.”

The campaign – which is also being supported by Archant Suffolk, publisher of titles including the East Anglian Daily Times – aims to bring together individuals and groups from across the private and public sectors to give Suffolk a single voice in calling for the delivery of superfast broadband services in the county.

Organisers argue the county’s 25,000 businesses as well as schools, healthcare providers and residents young and old need better broadband if they are to continue to be at the forefront of the nation’s economy.

The Better Broadband for Suffolk group is now ready to bid from a �530million pot from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) established by the Government to implement its policies on superfast broadband.

Winning locations for the next wave of funding are set to be announced in May.

“This is not a case of Suffolk versus other counties or whether we are more deserving than others,” Mr Soule said.

“This is about Suffolk, the bread basket of the UK, the home to some of the most innovative and forward-thinking businesses having a level playing field that will enable our economy to develop in the next decade and beyond.”