Things are speeding up: 4 out of 5 UK properties now have access to superfast broadband

Parliament Streets Director of Environment and Rural Affairs, Sarah-Jane Sewell, discusses the good news about superfast rural broadband.

Gov.uk Superfast broadband initiative. Check if you have superfast broadband here: http://gosuperfastchecker.culture.gov.uk/

Gov.uk Superfast broadband initiative. Check if you have superfast broadband here: http://gosuperfastchecker.culture.gov.uk/

Have you and two or more other people in your rural home all tried to watch something different on Netflix or youtube, on your individual devices, at the same time? If the answer is yes, then the key verb in the question is “tried”. Anyone who has ever lived or visited rural areas will know just how shocking rural broadband can be, with the speeds promised by the broadband provider, not being the speeds you actually get.

Things are looking up…

This week, The Government announced that more than two million homes and businesses in the UK now have access to superfast broadband: meaning that we are well on our way to reaching the 95% target by 2017.

Welcoming the news, Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Today there are two million more UK homes and businesses with access to superfast broadband than there were two years ago as a result of this ambitious project. This is a tremendous result that is already making a huge difference to millions of people. We want everyone in the UK to be able to enjoy the benefits of superfast broadband, that’s why we’ve begun work on reaching the last five per cent of communities not covered by existing plans.

Increasing access to superfast broadband however, is not just important for the family trying to access applications from a range of devices, but for those family members running rural businesses as well. Superfast rural broadband is essential for the growth of the rural economy, making sure they are not left flailing behind the big towns and cities. Whether it’s operating the card payment machine in the local pub, or allowing farmers to trade their produce internationally, full UK coverage of superfast broadband will ensure the UK remains Europe’s fasting growing economy.

If you want to see whether your area has superfast broadband, you can use the postcode checker here.

Follow Sarah-Jane on Twitter @sarahjanesewell

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