New Broadband Roll-Out Should Prioritise rural 'notspots'- MPs

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 16th Jul 2008

The MPs called for superfast broadband rollout to take account of rural 'notspots'

Following the announcement that BT plans to roll-out 'superfast' broadband to as many as 10 million homes by 2012, North East MPs Malcolm Bruce and Sir Robert Smith have called for them to prioritise areas that do not already receive broadband.

The investment of £1.5 billion in fibre-optic services would provide top speeds of up to 100 Mb/s (megabits per second), with the potential to increase this even further in the future.

BT Chief Executive Ian Livingston has stated that the plans will benefit "urban and rural areas alike". With many communities in Aberdeenshire still unable to receive broadband, or at speeds which are often significantly slower, the MPs called on BT to give priority to these North East pockets and to other similarly affected areas across the country.

Malcolm Bruce, the MP for Gordon said:

"I am pleased that this investment is taking place, and I have no doubt that it will prove useful across the country, but BT needs to recognise that the biggest benefit will be to those who are currently unable to receive broadband at all.

"Fibre-optic cables can remove some of the technological barriers, such as distance from the exchange, that currently make it difficult to provide rural and remote areas with a reliable broadband service.

"In areas such as Collieston and other 'notspots' around Insch such as Leslie, constituents have told me that the lack of a decent service has a detrimental effect on their small businesses.

Sir Robert Smith, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, long-term campaigner on broadband issues in the constituency, added:

"Whilst the 10 millions households will welcome the future services, I still have constituents that have no broadband at all. The regulator must ensure that we do not have a permanent divide with rural areas losting out yet again when the new technology is introduced.

"Fibre optics could really make a difference to those a long way from the exchange in rural areas."

ENDS