Backbench Business — Rural Phone and Broadband Connectivity

Part of Living Wage (Reporting) – in the House of Commons at 4:40 pm on 3 February 2015.

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Photo of Nick Herbert Nick Herbert Conservative, Arundel and South Downs 4:40, 3 February 2015

First, I add my thanks to my hon. Friend Jesse Norman for initiating this debate and the interest he has taken in the subject, which concerns a large number of us who represent rural constituencies and who believe that access to broadband is now essential, not a luxury. Despite its relative proximity to London, I had in my constituency two of the country’s four not spots. Even though the villages are just 50 miles from London, broadband was not available at all. The latest House of Commons figures suggest that only 52% of my constituency has superfast broadband access, making it one of the worst for broadband coverage. Many of my right hon. and hon. Friends who represent rural constituencies will be familiar with that situation.