'Fast and reliable broadband is a necessity in this day and age'

I want to ensure that communities across our local area have a faster and more reliable internet connection.

That’s why I am conducting a survey of broadband speeds to better understand where investment is needed. Armed with this data, I can demand action from providers to get our internet connections up to speed. Wherever you are in East Devon, please fill out my short survey at https://www.simonjupp.org.uk/broadband and help get us a better deal on our broadband.

As a general rule of thumb, anything over 30 megabits per second (Mbps) is pretty good for streaming and video calling, even for households with more than one person. Anything under 10 Mbps is acceptable for basic web surfing and email. But we shouldn’t have to pay full whack for a poor service.

Recently, I raised my concerns over disconnected communities with the Chief Executive of Wildanet in Axminster, who has heard my campaign to boost broadband across the region and is rolling out fast, reliable internet across East Devon whilst creating new jobs in the process.

The roll-out of broadband to rural and hard to reach areas is a priority for the government. East Devon has around 71% of premises with gigabit broadband (1,000 Mbps) according to the latest Ofcom data. That is pretty much in line with the UK average. In January 2019, just 6% of UK premises had gigabit broadband so substantial progress is being made to get communities onto rapid internet. But I know places like Sidbury, Offwell, Beer, and Feniton still lag behind. Residents tell me that they want action from providers as soon as possible.

Fast and reliable broadband is a necessity in this day and age. I will continue to do what I can to help towns and villages across East Devon.