As a resident of rural North East Hampshire and your Member of Parliament, I have had countless local people tell me that action must be taken to provide reliable broadband services to all rural parts of my constituency.
While 94.2% of North East Hampshire already has superfast (Fibre to the Cabinet) broadband, slow and unreliable broadband disproportionately affects those living in rural areas, like Ramsdell, Sherborne St John, Monk Sherborne, Charter Alley and beyond. I know how valuable reliable broadband is for local people.
The lack of these services is having a negative impact on residents’ quality of life – particularly in a time where we want fast and reliable services to stay connected to our family and friends, and to work efficiently from home. The businesses and schools in these areas rely on them too.
I have made the case to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and I have contacted BT Openreach on behalf of these communities – and now we must go further. This government has now committed to spending £5 billion to get broadband to the hardest-to-reach parts of the country, and I want to make sure that every organisation involved plays their part so that the rural parts of North East Hampshire see the benefits of this. I have joined forces with your County Councillor, as we both want to make your case to Hampshire County Council and to BT Openreach, so that your corner of the county is included in the next round of improvements.
If you agree, you – and your friends and neighbours – can sign my petition below, so that rural North East Hampshire gets the infrastructure it deserves.