Plans outlined by the coalition between the Tories and the Lib Dems state that the BBC licence fee could be used to part fund the rollout of superfast broadband across the UK.

The new broadband minister, Ed Vaizey is set to oversee the rollout.

Previously, the Labour government proposed a "broadband tax" of 50p per month to pay for next generation services.

The new government has promised to "ensure the rapid rollout of superfast broadband across the country" in both urban and rural areas and that it will ensure that equipment and infrastructure owned by BT and other telecoms firms can be used to deliver services.

A BBC Spokesperson said that the trust was "looking forward" to discussing the proposal with the government.