To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Superfast Rollout Programme will target rural areas where businesses have poor access to broadband provision, during the survey and design process.

The Superfast Rollout Programme Phase 2, is a £17 million project aimed at extending the reach of Superfast Broadband services across Northern Ireland, with a target completion date of 2017. A contract for this Programme was signed on 27 February 2015 and will bring more choice and improved speeds to over 38,000 premises across Northern Ireland.

The Project will begin with an extensive survey and design process, which will take place over a number of months. Until this planning work is completed, it will not be possible to say what specific premises will benefit from this upgrade.

However, it is expected that the majority of areas that will see improved superfast broadband services, will be in rural areas.