Sir Edward Leigh backs Government's broadband plans
Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh has thrown his weight behind plans for faster broadband both across his county and the UK as a whole.
Speaking on the back of the Government's announcement at the start of this week that it is to create a Universal Service Obligation (USO), Sir Edward said the decision was the right one to take in today's digital age.
The USO will give homes and businesses the right to demand broadband speeds of at least 10 Mbps. It comes as part of the Government's strategy to ensure that by 2020 everyone in the UK can access broadband speeds of at least 10Mbps, which has been deemed by Ofcom as sufficiently fast to meet the requirements of most families and small businesses.
It puts broadband on a par with other essential services like electricity and water, the Gainsborough Standard reported. And Sir Edward said that this is exactly how broadband should be treated.
He explained: "There isn’t a single aspect of government or everyday life that isn’t being transformed by digital technology, but slow broadband in rural and even some of our more urban areas leaves many people and businesses behind.
"This problem is urgent and we must act to ensure that there is no digital divide between cities like London and areas like Lincolnshire."
Sit Leigh went on to add that the USO would help prevent "not-spots" appearing, which he says has been a particular issue in Lincolnshire. The ability to demand access to affordable but fast broadband will ensure all of the UK is covered equally, which in turn will allow local communities and businesses to "stay online and reap the benefits provided by a good quality, reliable broadband connection".
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