Written question asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative) on Monday, 16 January 2017, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 30 January 2017. It was answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde (Conservative) on Monday, 30 January 2017 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Internet

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the comparative access and speed of the internet between urban and rural areas; and what proposals they have to improve internet access and speeds in rural areas.

Answer: The Government is committed to improving access to quality broadband services to as many people in the UK as possible. This is why £1.7 billion of public money is being invested to support improvements in superfast broadband services across the UK. Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) is committed to bringing superfast broadband access to 95 per cent of UK premises by the end of the year. By 2020, this should reach 97 per cent through a combination of public and commercial investment. To ensure that no one is left behind, the Government is also introducing a new broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) within this Parliament. The USO will give households and businesses the legal right to request a broadband connection with speeds of at least 10 Megabits, no matter where they live or work.

Secondary information