Eastleigh MP Mims Davies has helped deliver a letter to the Chancellor George Osborne asking him to continue to fund broadband improvements across the country.
Mims joined around 100 MPs and peers in signing the open letter because part of her constituency, including the Fair Oak and Botley areas, suffer from inadequate broadband speeds.
Mims welcomed the Prime Minister’s recent announcement of a Universal Service Obligation for broadband of at least 10Mbps, but added that 17 per cent of the UK does not currently have superfast broadband and some 500,000 households still lack even a basic service.
“Broadband, as the Prime Minister acknowledged, is a crucial tool for the modern age and one that allows people to work from home and avoid isolation,” said Mims.
“In Eastleigh, having universal superfast broadband would allow many more people to work from home and help with traffic congestion and pollution in the constituency which remains a massive problem.
“So the social, health and economic benefits of this service are overwhelming and I very much hope the Chancellor continues to recognise its importance.”
Mims added: “As the letter to the Chancellor said ‘Continued investment will ensure that we will not split the super connected from those for whom the 21st century economy is another country. We urge you to invest in creating one digital nation’.”
The letter was co-ordinated by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Broadband and Digital Communication.