HOMES and businesses in a remote South Tyne village have been hooked up to superfast broadband.

Coanwood is the first community in Northumberland to benefit from pioneering new technology which brings the internet connection to challenging locations.

People living and working in Coanwood now have access to broadband speeds of up to 80Mbps, with the use of a five kilometre microwave radio link.

The scheme is a result of work by the iNorthumberland programme, a partnership between BT and Northumberland County Council.

This wireless solution is part of BT’s toolkit of innovative technologies designed to expand the reach of fibre broadband.

It will work in exactly the same way as in other communities across Tynedale, where fibre-optic cables have been installed beneath the ground.

Mike Reynolds, project manager at Openreach, BT’s local network business, said: “Using microwave radio was the ideal solution for Coanwood.

“We were determined to find a way to make superfast fibre available to the village.

“However, the cost laying five kilometres of new duct and fibre was prohibitive and the necessary roadworks would have caused significant disruption.

“We still had to overcome other technical challenges including the need for a specialist rock hammer drill to dig down deeper than usual as we needed to erect an 11-metre high pole.”

Coun. Dave Ledger, deputy leader of the county council, said: “This innovation illustrates our commitment to pushing the boundaries of how far we can deploy high-speed broadband and ensuring that the economic and social benefits that modern digital communications will help deliver are accessible to everyone, no matter how remote or rural their location.”