Access to high-speed broadband and reliable mobile coverage is essential in the modern world.
Banbury and Bicester broadly benefit from strong broadband and reliable mobile coverage. However, I know there are many in surrounding villages who have been left behind by the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband and who are frustrated by mobile not-spots.
Our area has the lowest rate of gigabit-capable broadband coverage in Oxfordshire, and one of the lowest in the South East, with coverage 20 per cent below the national average. It is absolutely vital that my constituents have access to a reliable broadband service. With landline use at an all-time low, we must also work towards universal mobile coverage in line with the Government’s Shared Rural Network programme.
My Digital Connectivity Survey is now live. The results will help me build a comprehensive picture of where mobile and broadband coverage is weak in North Oxfordshire.
I hope as many constituents as possible will respond to my survey – even in areas where broadband and mobile signal are strong – to help inform my findings. I will then share the results with service providers and colleagues in Government so that we can work together to improve connectivity across our area.
You can find my survey here: www.victoriaprentis.com/digital-connectivity. Paper copies can be requested by emailing my office at [email protected] or by writing to Orchard House, Hopcraft Lane, Deddington, OX15 0TD.
