The problem of painfully slow broadband locally, and particularly acute slow speeds across Somerset and Devon has once again been debated in parliament.

The Government's target is for at least 85% of UK premises to have access to gigabit broadband by 2025. It said it will "seek to accelerate roll-out further to get as close to 100% as possible"

Gigabit-capable broadband means download speeds of at least 1 gigabit-per-second (1 Gbps or 1000 megabits per second, Mbps). A 1 Gbps download speed would allow a high-definition film to be downloaded in under 1 minute.

Broadband coverage

Ofcom data shows that in September 2021, 45.7% of premises in the UK had access to gigabit broadband. You can view detailed data and maps for constituencies, local areas and postcodes HERE : the Commons site

But gigabit broadband availability in most of Devon and Somerset is lower than average, with only Exeter and East Devon having gigabit availability above the national average. The table below shows constituency level data for Devon and Somerset.

The Federation of Small Businesses has offered up the following: "Good quality internet connection is vital for small businesses and self-employed people. Yet far too many of them are still coming up against slow speeds and poor connection, making it difficult to communicate with their customers and potentially losing them business.

"It's worrying to see Ofcom statistics showing lower than average Gigabit broadband availability across most of Devon and Somerset, particularly at a time when so many are relying on decent broadband connection.

"While the progress made by the government's project gigabit so far has been essential, we need to make sure reliable broadband is accessible everywhere, including those that are harder to reach."

But it is not even just access to the fastest broadband where we are lagging, as the table shows the South West also lags behind in access to good speeds of broadband - 92 per cent compared to 95 per cent across the UK.

Speaking in a parliamentary debate on the rollout of Ultrafast Broadband in Devon and Somerset, David Warburton MP for Somerton and Frome joined a group of South West MPs warning the Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure of the continuing plight of rural communities lagging behind in digital connectivity.

So many young people leave Somerset.

David said: "The South-West needs to compete with the rest of the country. Three-quarters of our young people leave Somerset after their education. Our businesses tell me that to stay in Somerset they need to connect not just through better roads and rail services but through the digital highway."

Highlighting some of the many areas of the region that continue to lack adequate broadband connectivity, David continued, "With endless faults and starts, an ever-changing roll-call of companies involved in rolling out ultra-fast broadband across Somerset has achieved much, but there are still many pockets of resistance. "

"In my patch, only 13% of premises are fully connected. In my constituency, Curry Rivel, Sparkford and Langport fall into the worst 10% of areas for download speed and connectivity."

David emphasized the magnitude of the issue in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic forcing stay-at-home, work-from-home and home-schooling imperatives. "The pandemic has highlighted the huge productivity gap between urban and rural areas. With ever more people working from home, digital connectivity should be like water or electricity—an essential utility."

Responding to the debate, Julia Lopez MP, Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure, stated, "As many honourable Members have said, the pandemic has really highlighted the importance of digital connectivity in how we live and work, which, as technology advances, will only become more profound. Several honourable Members have highlighted that there is a risk of a digital divide emerging, and I agree.I wish to assure all hon. Members that the Government are not leaving the knobbly bits until last but trying to deal with them early in the process.

"I am keen to work closely with partners such as Vodafone and small and medium-sized enterprises to roll out that technology so that our networks are not only wide reaching but resilient."