MAJOR private phone companies need to be persuaded to invest in Lincolnshire to help upgrade broadband services, according to council officials.

Negotiations between Lincolnshire County Council and British Telecom (BT) resulted in the two groups agreeing to work closely on the issue.

As reported in the Echo, internet speeds available to rural Lincolnshire communities are expected to be left lagging behind the rest of the UK.

But county council head of economic regeneration Justin Brown said Vodaphone was among the authority's other targets.

He said: "Our strategy for improving digital coverage in Lincolnshire includes public sector organisations taking action, but the main aspects of our strategy are to persuade private digital service providers, such as BT, Virgin and Vodaphone and the wealth of others, they should invest in Lincolnshire."