City broadband concerns highlighted (East of England Liberal Democrats)

East of England Liberal Democrats <info@eastlibdems.org.uk>

City broadband concerns highlighted

February 2, 2012 4:20 PM
Originally published by Norwich Liberal Democrats Online

Simon Wright MP and Cllr James Wright - broadband At this week's Full Council meeting, Cllr James Wright highlighted the fact that there are areas of Norwich that do not have access to consistently high internet speeds. He also called on City Hall to play its full part in the 'Say Yes to Better Broadband in Norfolk" campaign.

Cllr James Wright, Liberal Democrat Group Leader at City Hall, commented:

"There are pockets of the city that suffer from a poor internet service, despite being in areas that on paper would seem to benefit from some of the highest speeds available. In the wider debate about the county 'not spots' we should not lose sight of this. These poor speeds are incredibly frustrating for those residents and businesses who are affected, and as a Council we need to do all that we can to tackle this issue."

"There are families in Norwich who are unable to afford a fixed line internet solution and therefore the council needs to be flexible in allowing new forms of wireless provision which can be provided on a Pay As You Go basis. Having broadband at home is incredibly important for a child's education and schools are increasingly expecting pupils to access online resources from home. This is just one of the many reasons why having good internet provision is so important."

Norwich South MP Simon Wright, and Cllr James Wright met with team behind the BDUK bid at the Castle Mall last Saturday, where they were given an update and pledged their support for the EDPs campaign.

Simon Wright, MP for Norwich South, also commented:

"There is massive support for better broadband in Norfolk, and this campaign makes a brilliantly persuasive case for companies to invest. A decent internet connection helps people today to access services online, and in tomorrow's world it will become even more important. Whether you're a business, a public service provider, or someone looking for the latest entertainment online, broadband opens up new options for you."