BUSINESSES on the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate in Nelson have access to the latest broadband technology after it was officially launched by Stephens Timms MP.

The Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for e-commerce within the government.

He visited the Printoff Graphics Arts Ltd site yesterday to switch on Pendle's first broadband internet connection.

Pendle Partnership has helped to fund half of the £12,500 cost of the connection, which is being provided by a company called Elancs.net.

Chairman Dennis Mendoros welcomed the visit to Pendle and said:"I am delighted that Stephen Timms has visited us in Pendle today to find out what we are doing to get connected to broadband.

"Broadband will soon become an essential businesses' tool and those without could lose out. Pendle must not be left behind. We must embrace this new technology quickly.

"Without broadband some businesses will find it increasingly difficult to deal effectively with the technological demands made by electronic trading and production processes."

"This is the first of what I hope will be many similar broadband projects which the Partnership will aim to fund."

Now that the link has been installed, up to 24 more companies on Lomeshaye will be able to connect to it.

Pendle Partnership has said it will provide a further £18,000 to encourage Broadband take-up on Lomeshaye, funding half of the connection costs so that businesses will only have to pay around £750 each.

The overall campaign to encourage more businesses to hook up to broadband is being led by Pendle's E-envoy, Mr Roger Edworthy, who Pendle Partnership is funding through the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce.