Bradford will become one the UK’s first ‘super-connected’ cities with internet broadband speeds set to become up to ten times faster thanks to £15 million of Government cash.

Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Budget yesterday that Bradford and Leeds will benefit from the cash through the Urban Broadband Fund, which will mean high-speed broadband speeds of 100-plus MB, compared to the existing two to ten MB.

There will be full wireless coverage within both city centres and 88,000 homes and 16,000 businesses across both cities will benefit, although people will still have to access the internet by registering with a service provider.

It will put the two cities on a par with the UK’s capitals which will also enjoy super-connected status.

Bradford Council leader Ian Greenwood said the development was a major boost to businesses which can take advantage of enhanced digital connectivity opportunities and be competitive.

“This will support jobs in Bradford and the wider city region in coming years,” he said.

Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies said: “It is a great shot in the arm for the city and a great springboard for the economic regeneration the city so desperately needs.”

Sandy Needham, chief executive of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said having high-quality technical back-up was going to be important to the district’s businesses, coming out of the recession and looking more long-term.

“So having Bradford as part of this ‘super-connected network’ is no bad thing,” she said “Broadband technology is probably as important as investment in infrastructure these days.

“We’ve still got some way to go to catch up with some other countries though, such as France that has much faster broadband speed, so let’s not get too carried away with the Chancellor’s proclaimed ‘technology centre for Europe’.”

Professor David Rhodes, the one-time chief executive of hi-tech electronics company Filtronic, formerly based in Shipley, described the announcement as being good for the district.

“Even more so for individuals because telecommunication links now are phenomenal and people have iPads and things and it all comes back to having the capacity to access technology,” he said.

Bradford Council Conservative group leader, Councillor Glen Miller, said: “I just hope it will not be dealt with within five miles of the city centre because we have farmers and people with businesses in rural areas that use dial-up systems which keep crashing, so this is good news for businesses like them.”

Bradford South Labour MP Gerry Sutcliffe said the Government should not be paying for all of it.

He said: “Broadband helps web suppliers and companies such as Sky so I don’t see why the Government is footing the bill.”

Bradford East MP David Ward (Lib Dem) said that it was absolutely fantastic news.

“We are a city in our own right with the fastest increasing population and there is a desperate need to create jobs.”