Letter to the Deputy Prime Minister on issues with superfast broadband

Last week I pressed the Deputy Prime Minister on the lack of superfast broadband in Hackney. A third of businesses in Shoreditch do not have access to it and that simply isn’t good enough.

Yesterday I wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister to lay out in detail my concerns about broadband connectivity in Hackney. The Government has not done enough to ensure that businesses in the UK have the technological infrastructure that is required to sustain and grow their business.

I listed a number of complaints from businesses within Hackney and it is clear that a significant number are struggling with a lack of broadband connectivity. This is an example of one of the issues I listed to the Deputy Prime Minister:

“I have many clients in the EC1 area and internet speed is the number one current concern for my clients from an IT perspective. Moving out of the area may need to be considered.”

It is wrong that the Government can award a huge amount of public money to BT for the roll out of superfast broadband when BT have not been willing to help resolve the lack of connectivity within Tech City. Tech City is a hub for small businesses and start-ups, where the spirt of enterprice has flourished.

It is essential that affordable broadband is available for these businesses, who are often quoted excessive amounts of money for fibre optic connection. I urged the Deputy Prime Minister to put investment in the infrastructure so that superfast broadband is available at reasonable rates.

I hope that the response I receive will list what the Government is planning to do to resolve this issue and how it is going to ensure the long term development of our digital economy.