Matt Warman: New figures show more homes and businesses getting superfast broadband in Boston and Skegness
Matt Warman has welcomed new figures showing how families and businesses in Boston and Skegness are benefitting from Conservative investment in superfast broadband.
The figures show that thanks to this investment, across Lincolnshire 68,747 now have access to superfast broadband and by 2017 a total of 18,609 homes and businesses in Boston and Skegness will have access to superfast connections, who would otherwise have had to suffer from a slow, unreliable internet.
Across the country this investment has already got an extra 2 million premises connected-up to superfast broadband, with 40,000 more being added every single week. By 2017, 95 per cent of the UK will have access to superfast broadband – this compares to only 45 per cent in 2009.
This investment is part of the Conservatives’ long-term economic plan that will mean families will be able to enjoy the full benefits of the internet and businesses being able to open up new markets and do business across the world, helping them to expand and create new jobs.
Matt Warman commented:
‘As Technology Editor at the Telegraph I’ve covered the roll-out of broadband nationwide for several years, and I’ve seen the huge benefits we in Lincolnshire have reaped. Whether that’s new businesses benefiting from our affordable rents or whether it was the pupils in my father-in-law’s classes at Boston Grammar School doing their research online, broadband changes lives in a huge way - and it makes Boston and Skegness an ever more attractive place to work and live.
‘When Labour left office, 3 million homes and businesses didn’t have access to the fast broadband speeds they needed.
‘That’s why the Conservatives, as part of our long-term economic plan, are investing £1.7 billion to roll out superfast broadband to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017. This investment has already meant 68,747 premises in Lincolnshire now have access to superfast broadband. And by 2017, 18,609 more homes and businesses will have got superfast connections in Boston and Skegness who would otherwise have been stuck with a slow, unreliable internet.
‘This investment that is only possible because we have a strong economy and a long-term, economic plan. Only by sticking to that plan will we be able to continue to improve Britain’s infrastructure and ensure the whole country can access world-class broadband connections’.
ENDS
For more information please contact Matt Warman on matt@mattwarman.net or on 07748 963545.
Notes to Editors
· Rolling-out of superfast broadband to 95 per cent of the country by 2017. £1.7 billion is being invested as part of our Broadband Programme to roll out superfast broadband to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017. 44 individual projects, covering different parts of the country, make up this Programme which has already delivered superfast broadband to 2 million more premises, with around 40,000 more being connected-up each week, with 80 per cent of the UK now having superfast broadband coverage, up from only 45 per cent in 2009 (DCMS Press Release, 13 November 2014, link).
· Connecting up the last 5 per cent. £10 million is being spent to develop new technologies, such as fixed wireless, satellites and ‘fibre to the distribution point’, so that households in the most remote and hard-to-reach places get connected up to superfast broadband. These represent the final 5 per cent of the UK that need superfast broadband connections that commercial broadband services won’t reach (DCMS Press Release, 13 November 2014, link).
· Superfast broadband is driving economic growth. For every £1 invested in our broadband programme, £20 of economic benefits will be generated, representing fantastic value for money. This programme will also provide a £1.5 billion boost to local economies and create an additional 56,000 new jobs in the UK by 2024 (DCMS Press Release, 13 November 2014, link).
· Labour left millions without good broadband services. In June 2010, almost 3 million homes and businesses did not have access to basic broadband speeds of at least 2Mbps (DCMS website, accessed on 8 August 2014, link).