DAVID Davies MP says the goal of improved broadband performance across Monmouthshire is progressing at a positive rate, but stressed the importance of ensuring the concerns of local people were duly considered when siting new equipment.
During a recent meeting with BT’s Head of Parliamentary Affairs and Director of Public Affairs in the House of Commons, Mr Davies heard how significant investment is being made in Wales to deliver next generation high speed broadband by 2015.
Speaking from Westminster, Mr Davies said: “The good news is that all of the exchanges in my constituency are now broadband enabled and I’m told they are open to any broadband provider to provide service.
“BT is investing £2.5 billion to bring fibre-based broadband to two-thirds of UK homes and businesses by 2015. The main focus now is how to reach the final third with the recently announced £830 million from the Coalition Government, which is being managed by an organisation called Broadband Delivery UK.
“In parallel to rolling out super-fast broadband, I’m told BT is getting as much as possible out of the current copper network and I was given some useful pointers on tweaks which can be made in the home to improve speeds.
“During my meeting, BT explained how the rural nature of Monmouthshire makes it a challenging area. That said, it’s clear quite a lot has happened in Wales, including the Welsh Assembly Government’s formal procurement process which sets targets for all businesses to have access to next generation broadband by mid-2016 and all households by 2020.
“Regrettably, Monmouthshire has been badly served by broadband to date and this is an issue of real importance locally. Poor broadband speeds constitute a large percentage of my postbag and while I welcome the action the industry is taking to tackle the problem, it’s important that any new equipment is sited sensitively and the concerns of local residents are taken into consideration.”