Internet go-slow 'hurting Shropshire'
Fewer than a third of homes and businesses in one Shropshire constituency are getting superfast broadband, a report has claimed.
The House of Commons Library report also showed the Ludlow constituency came in 615th for superfast broadband speeds out of 650 across the country.
Just 30 per cent of the area is receiving the best coverage despite millions of pounds having been invested by Broadband Delivery UK, as part of Shropshire Council's programme to roll out broadband across the county, making it one of the worst in the country and even the county. Shrewsbury currently has 67 per cent superfast coverage and north Shropshire 46 per cent.
Charlotte Barnes, Shropshire Councillor for Bishops Castle, said the report showed the area was lagging behind most other areas in Britain for superfast broadband.
She said 10 per cent of the constituency had speeds of less than 2Mbps high-speed internet connection, which could only be used for web browsing, basic emails and music streaming.
"This is truly appalling and seriously holding our businesses back," she said.
"Upload speeds are even worse and websites are difficult to build and change.
"Farmers cannot fill out vital forms for Defra while others cannot take money electronically.
"It is simply unacceptable that southern Shropshire is lagging behind the rest of the county let alone the rest of the country."
Meanwhile, a taxpayer-funded voucher scheme to boost firms' broadband speeds must be extended to rural areas at risk of being left behind, MPs said.
Businesses in 22 cities can claim up to £3,000 for better online links but the Commons environment, food and rural affairs select committee said it was unfair that farmers and others could not access the same help.
And it said the minimum Government-guaranteed broadband speed for homes and businesses in parts of the country outside the target of 95 per cent superfast coverage by 2017 was at least five times too slow.
The committee also highlighted a warning given to it by BT that the target could slip to 2018 – but the Department for Culture, Media and Sport insisted it remained "firmly on track".
BT said it was now "confident" of meeting the target after roll-out was accelerated.
