MPs write to government in support of rural connectivity improvements

A group of some 56 MPs have written to the Digital Secretary asking for more to be done to improve both broadband speeds and mobile connectivity in rural areas.

The letter comes from MPs representing all the major parties in the UK and asks for urgent action to be taken to boost coverage in rural regions currently struggling to offer even the most basic connectivity requirements to residents and businesses.

The letter follows reports by the National Farmers Union, stating that only 9 per cent of farmers enjoy broadband connection speeds of over 24Mbps. The farmers surveyed by the Union said that they ‘waste time every day’ trying to connect to the internet and are frustrated that many have invested in technology that they are unable to use most of the time.

Meanwhile, a village community in Wales is finally celebrating being connected to superfast broadband after their local MP took up their case. Rhydymain says it was promised superfast broadband on 12 different occasions but that the village didn’t get connected until major efforts from their MP Liz Saville Roberts finally paid off.
The MP stated: “I am pleased that after years of lapsed deadlines and broken promises, the village of Rhydymain in Meirionnydd has finally been connected to superfast broadband, much to the relief of local residents and businesses.”

Roberts added that, although the village now enjoys better broadband speeds, the issue is still a major bugbear in many rural communities. She explained: “The internet plays a vital role in people’s lives. Children needed it for school, parents needed it for work, and businesses needed it to function yet the service in some of our rural areas remains unacceptable.”