Hugh Robertson hails new policy on rural broadband

Hugh Robertson, the MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, has welcomed new Conservative Policy proposals on broadband speed and coverage.

The MP has had two examples of rural areas, Selling and Ulcombe, which have had problems with broadband coverage and who would have benefited from these proposals.

The first policy proposal is to allow private sector operations to lay fibre in BT’s pipes and ducts and aerials on BT’s existing telegraph poles. This will break the monopoly and allow other operators to compete with BT. It is an approach that has yielded huge benefits to countries such as France and Singapore.

The second policy proposal is to use a proportion of the BBC Licence fee to finance investment in rural areas such as Selling and Ulcombe. This is permissible as the BBC is one of the heaviest drives of demand for super-fast broadband through services such as the iPlayer.

Hugh Robertson said, “Both these policies are good news for broadband users and should enable us to speed up broadband coverage throughout the UK.

However, they are particularly good news for areas such as Selling and Ulcombe where the use of the Licence Fee would have delivered broadband without the need for a grant from KCC”.