For many years now, Norfolk and the East of England have lagged behind the rest of the UK in the digital connectivity stakes. I launched my ‘Broadband’ campaign when I successfully campaigned in 2010 and 2011 in support of Norfolk County Council and other MPs for a £15 million grant from Broadband Delivery UK, which was matched by Norfolk County Council. I have had public meetings in Norfolk, followed by a recent well attended ‘regional’ event in Newmarket in March 2014.

There are a large number of reasons why we should push for better connections:

• Economic – to assist with the much needed rural renaissance, encouraging new businesses to set up in rural locations creating high tech cottage industries. Better connectivity will also improve public services – from high speed library hubs and access to government websites to checking whether the bus or train is running late.


• Social justice – with more and more services being accessible on-line only, many people in Norfolk will be denied access due to the current poor connections. Improved digital connectivity will ensure that no one is excluded.

That’s why the next months are key to the campaign. I have requested a formal meeting with the Minister in the next few weeks. The a steering group made up of countryside organisations, local businesses and the Chamber of Commerce will push hard for our region to be brought up to ‘digital speed’ in particular raising the following for broadband and digital mobile services:

Broadband

• A voucher scheme for accelerating connectivity to the final mile


• A clearer system for communicating the roll-out plan


• A new model to ensure BT actively support alternative providers


• Re-prioritise to stop businesses being ignored


• Impose a duty on Government / BT to tell people when they have fast broadband and how to tell their ISP to upgrade their service

Digital mobile service
 

• Approach the big four providers with positive commercial openness


• Work with LEP’s, County Councils, District Councils and business organisations to pull together a business case to show the level of growth and demand in East Anglia


• Create and accurate map of the “black spots” and “partial not spots” and give an indication of the level of current service interruption


• Push for planning reform to allow taller masts