GP surgeries, schools and other public buildings could be used in a bid to boost internet speeds in north Wales.

The plans were revealed at a meeting in which councillors heard broadband infrastructure in the region is currently lagging behind.

The area’s six local authorities could also look to own and manage their own ducting to host fibre cables as part of a £56m funding bid.

The proposals were outlined as members of Wrexham Council’s employment, business and investment scrutiny committee received a report on the North Wales Digital Connectivity Strategy.

It forms part of the North Wales Growth Bid, which could be worth up to £1.3bn growth deal and create up to 5,000 permanent jobs if it gains the UK government’s backing in the Autumn Statement.

Council leader Mark Pritchard said improving connectivity was the ‘number one priority’ for all of the councils involved.

He said: “The North Wales Digital Connectivity Strategy addresses the common issues which impact negatively on current broadband and mobile connectivity within the region.

“It also identifies the key interventions that will help to deliver significant improvements in digital connectivity across the whole of north Wales. I’m hoping for the Conservative government in Westminster and the Labour government in Cardiff to support this bid.

“Our ambition is for local authorities to run their own ducting and infrastructure.”

The report shows that demand for high speed broadband and mobile connectivity in north Wales has kept pace with supply.

However, it adds that infrastructure in the region has historically lagged behind the rest of the UK in terms of coverage and capacity.

It also highlights a ‘digital divide’ of hundreds of megabits per second (mbps) between north Wales and other parts of the UK since the emergence of fibreoptic broadband.