7 December 2010

Waveney MP Peter Aldous today commented on Monday’s announcement by Secretary of State for Olympics, Culture, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt, on the Coalition Government’s Broadband Strategy.

Mr Hunt set out an action plan to stimulate private investment and competition, and create an environment in which business can flourish by removing key barriers around hardware and cutting costs.

A reliable and secure superfast broadband network is vital to the country’s economic growth, the development of high tech and creative industries, and the reform of public services.

The proposals include:

  • A ‘digital hub’ in every community by the end of this Parliament.

  • Investing £50 million in a second wave of projects to test how we deliver this (on top of the four pilots currently running on how we deliver superfast broadband to remote and rural areas). These projects will be overseen by Broadband Delivery UK within BIS.

  • Cutting the costs of and access to infrastructure – increasing shared access, work with house builders to make new home broadband ready, and cutting the costs of laying cable by clarifying the rules on streetworks.

  • Awarding spectrum for mobile services.


Mr Aldous said:
“Broadband is very important to the future of Waveney, it has massive potential to change the way we do business and enables people in rural locations to access vital services and social networks. I welcome the Government’s strategy to achieve the best broadband in Europe by 2015 and will now be working with those in Suffolk to explore how this strategy can work best for our communities. I believe Suffolk has a strong case to be considered in a second wave of Government pilot projects testing delivery and will be working with the relevant stakeholders to ensure we put forward a strong case.”