10 signatures reached
To: Margot James, Minister of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Fibre for the 5%: Fix rural broadband not-spots now!
Don't abandon rural communities to life without broadband. Make Openreach bring fibre to the 5% of UK households who have no broadband in 2018.
Why is this important?
Rural communities have been abandoned by the Government and Openreach to an increasingly difficult life without any broadband. The 5% of homes without basic broadband provision have been dismissed by Openreach and abandoned by the Government, as Openreach declare 'superfast' roll out done and now focus on 'ultrafast' fibre broadband for towns and cities.
Broadband is increasingly needed for everyday life. Extremely low broadband speeds, suffered by the 5%, makes it impossible to access basic services like online banking and shopping, but more importantly means small businesses are closing, children are losing out in their education and whole communities have no access to necessary online services.
We want the ultrafast fibre roll out to start with the 5% who don't have broadband now! Communities like my own, Wellpond Green in Hertfordshire, just 30 miles from London, need your help to join the 21st century and get broadband. Don't let our children grow up without access to the internet!
We call on Margot James to force Openreach to ensure all rural communities receive fibre broadband in 2018.
