The Prime Minister has announced that broadband will be put on a similar footing to other basic services.
Following a two year campaign of lobbying ministers and a recent backbench debate in the House of Commons, where Lucy Allan MP made the case for improved broadband for Telford, the Prime Minister unveilved plans where people everywhere can expect connection of 10Mbps by the end of the Parliament.
The Prime Minister said: “Access to the internet shouldn’t be a luxury; it should be a right – absolutely fundamental to life in 21st century Britain. That is why I’m announcing a giant leap in my digital mission for Britain. Just as our forebears effectively brought gas, electricity and water to all, we’re going to bring fast broadband to every home and business that wants it. That’s right: we’re getting Britain – all of Britain – online, and on the way to becoming the most prosperous economy in the whole of Europe.”
On 12 October 2015 Telford's MP spoke in a debate on this subject in the House of Commons passionately putting the case for Telford, particularly in the new build areas and Ironbridge.
Lucy said: I am delighted that the Prime Minister has listened to the concerns expressed by me and my colleagues representing constituencies up and down the country. This is a huge win. In my speech which you can read here I paid specific tribute to local campaigners, such as Telford Life, Lightmoor Life and the Shropshire Star who campaigned tirelessly to achieve better speeds. I spoke of the frustrations of poor connection speeds on every day life in areas such as Trench Lock, Lightmoor and Ironbridge."
The Prime Minister said: "the Government will go further, and is starting work to bring in a broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO), giving people a legal right to request an affordable connection to broadband, no matter where they live. The aim would be to allow consumers to request a broadband connection with a speed of at least 10Mbps. As the country makes great strides towards better connectivity, this will help us maintain our competitive edge, helping to ensure that no-one is left behind.
A USO would provide a regulatory “safety net” for households and small businesses, ensuring they would get the broadband speeds they typically need – from doing business online to streaming live TV. This new ambition would see minimum broadband speeds increase five fold and can be upgraded over time. The Government will be consulting on this in early 2016.
The Prime Minister also paid tribute to the campaigning work of Lucy Allan MP for whom this has been a top campaign issue. The Prime Minister said: I’m talking about how we’ll finish the job – how we’ll make sure the hardest to reach, most remote areas have fast broadband access, too. A big part of the answer is a Universal Service Obligation, just like we have for other essential services, for the post and for telephone lines. This ambition means that any household or business has the right to request fast internet access and they will get it.
Why is this so important? Because, like the coming of the railways in the 19th century and the expansion of the telephone network in the 20th century, the internet is this century’s engine of progress.Just think of all the jobs that can be created if businesses are able to set up anywhere; all the tourists and visitors that would be attracted to this great county if it has the facilities they need; all the families that would move here and boost the economy. Quite simply, universal service is vital to the future of Shropshire – where local MPs like Lucy Allan have campaigned for better broadband."
Lucy Allan said "This is fantastic news and after all those meetings with ministers and the debate in the House of Commons where MP after MP got up to talk about their concerns, we have real action. I love democracy when it can bring about change. I am delighted to have been part of that process and to have been Telford's voice in Westminister."
You can read Lucy's speech here: Lucy Allan 12th October 2015