Written question asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 3 March 2015, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 17 March 2015. It was answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Conservative) on Thursday, 12 March 2015 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the lack of superfast broadband on businesses, farming communities, households and the elderly, particularly in rural areas.

Answer: The benefits of superfast broadband are summarised in the UK Broadband Impact Study (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-broadband-impact-study--2). This looked at a wide range of benefits, including considerations around different business sectors, and rurality. Given the benefits identified the Government aims to provide 95 per cent superfast broadband coverage by 2017, and is exploring options for taking coverage beyond that level.

Secondary information