Broadband has become a basic utility and working to help improve the provision across the constituency has been on my agenda since becoming an MP. I have lobbied Government, meet with communications companies and with Ofcom and also communities frustrated by lack of provision. It was therefore a pleasure to share the celebration of the commissioning of the 600th superfast broadband cabinet in March 2019. This was in Chinnor Hill and this year alone has seen cabinets go live across the constituency including in Berinsfield, Sonning Common, Fencott, Cane End, Nuneham Courtnay and Woodcote.
There is now a push to get to those hard to reach locations in more remote areas of the constituency.
Through the Digital Economy Act 2017 Government has committeed to introduce a broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) ensuring that by 2020 every home and business will have access to high speed broadband. This committmetn recognises that people and businesses need to have access to world-class connectivity to thrive.
In Oxfordshire the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire programme has been led by the County Council working in partnership with BT and BDUK (Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport).
