Ministers fear public not spending government money they could be on upgrading their broadband

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ministers fear a significant underspend in money set aside for a flagship scheme that offers the public subsidies to upgrade their broadband. To try to encourage more people to take up the high-speed connections, ministers have also set up a new task force involving the Federation of Small Businesses, the Confederation of British Industry and Which?. Digital infrastructure minister Matt Warman said: “I urge people in rural communities in the digital slow lane to apply for the immediate financial help available so they can seize the benefits of better connectivity — from making work easier to catching up with family and friends. “I am also launching a new drive with business and consumer champions to make more people aware of just how beneficial better, faster broadband can be.” The government said that to date more than 3,500 broadband vouchers have been issued to rural homes and businesses in Somerset, as well as nearly 2,000 in Cumbria and more than 1,000 in Kent, Lancashire, Hampshire, West Yorkshire and Surrey.