Among the pomp and ceremony of last week’s State Opening of Parliament, my particular focus was on the announcements made in the Queen’s Speech. This annual event marks the start of a new parliamentary year in the calendar and announces what legislation the Government intends to bring forward for Royal Assent, in that time. The event outlines the priorities of the Government and gives MPs like myself, an idea of what to expect. One such announcement which sparked my interest, was around the delivery of rural broadband.
Currently, 90% of the UK has the provision of superfast broadband- this being internet connection speeds of up to 300Mbps- and by the end of next year, this will have reached 95%. This country leads Europe in delivering on all levels of connectivity; broadband speed, coverage and a competitive market and according to statistics, the UK remains the largest e-commerce industry in the world. This is outstanding progress, considering only 45% of the country had access to superfast broadband, back in 2010.
However, there still remains the essential task of delivering superfast connectivity to the remaining 5% of UK homes- namely rural areas like Suffolk. The diversity of the remaining 5% of homes in their rural settings, makes full connectivity particularly challenging. The Queen’s Speech delivered a commitment to a Broadband Universal Service Obligation, giving every UK resident a legal right to demand access to high speed broadband. This commitment is paramount, for in my mind, broadband is a ‘fourth utility’, with around 94% of small businesses believing broadband to be essential to their operation.
Currently, my constituency only has 80% coverage, leaving around 10,000 households without sufficient connectivity. I have built up a mapped network of affected areas from constituents contacting me in Bury St Edmunds to Stowmarket, to small villages such as Felsham and Bacton. What has become apparent is that the delivery of rural broadband is not just about one provider- BT Openreach. Furthermore in recent weeks, the commitment to deliver the final phase of connectivity has been called into question, as the debate became increasingly uncertain of the viability of full connectivity.
This is why I continue to draw together Ministers, representatives from BT Openreach, local authorities and affected households. With the commitment of the Universal Broadband Service Obligation to a “demand-led approach”, it is vital customers – especially in rural areas - demand more from BT Openreach. To facilitate this, I will be hosting a series of meetings with BT Openreach as well as on site visits through the smaller villages of my constituency. I implore households receiving a poor broadband to reach out and demand more; from BT Openreach and from this Government.
Published in the East Anglian Daily Times