A LACK of access and education is hampering the take-up of broadband services by businesses in the Bolton Economic Development Zone (EDZ), potentially costing millions of pounds in lost development and expansion.

A report carried out by technical consultants SQW, on behalf of Bolton Metro, revealed that broadband take-up in the EDZ is currently 4.4 per cent of available lines, compared with a regional figure of 4.8 per cent, and 5.7 per cent nationally.

The report said that one problem was a lack of full Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) services in the EDZ. Like many similar developments, the EDZ is based on the western outskirts of the town.

ADSL availability depends on its distance from a local exchange, and the report said that key locations around Lostock and Parklands are "as far away as it is possible to get" from a Bolton ADSL exchange. This causes problems because there is "no significant network infrastructure" in the EDZ, other than BT lines.

Andy Walker, Bolton Metro's head of economic strategy, said that the access issue had improved when BT announced last month that it had removed the distance-related limits for broadband services, opening up broadband access to over 32,000 homes and businesses in the area, but he still voiced concerns over the level of businesses switching to broadband.

"We still have a low-wage, low-skill economy here," he said, "and getting Bolton businesses using broadband technology would be an important component in upskilling and bringing the sort of value-added developments the town needs."

The report also said that the failure of local businesses to adopt broadband pointed to "a lack of knowledge to assess the costs and benefits of (broadband) adoption".

Mr Walker said that proposals to improve take-up levels are underway, adding that a multi-agency approach was needed.

"We are ooking at ways of increasing the knowledge and profile of new technologies among small businesses, in conjunction with other local business support agencies, and we are talking to the North West Development Agency about projects that have worked in other parts of Greater Manchester."