Concerns to be raised with government over broadband connectivity in rural areas

Concerns over rural areas and hard-to-reach communities missing out on broadband connectivity are to be raised with government.

Devon County Council’s Cabinet has considered a request from the Council’s Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services (CIRS) Scrutiny Committee to review current national broadband policy.

Councillors also welcomed the establishment of a Task and Finish group by the (CIRS) Committee to monitor the delivery of the national broadband voucher scheme and consider any opportunities to improve connectivity in Devon.

Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs and Broadband, is already lobbying national government on rural connectivity.

She and seven of Devon’s MPs, National Park Chairs, and Chief Executives of Devon Communities Together and Citizens Advice recently sent a letter to the Minister for Digital Economy, outlining the significant impacts on businesses, access to services and rural isolation.

Their letter stressed the critical importance of developing a national strategy for connecting very hard-to-reach premises and offered to discuss Devon acting as a location to test, trial or pilot solutions, technologies and models for delivery of rural broadband solutions.

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