Posted on July 21, 2011 by Phillip Lee

Recently in the House of Commons there was a much needed debate on the lack of broadband and mobile coverage in rural areas of this country. As a Member of Parliament for the Bracknell constituency, an area which is part of, and near to, 10% of the world’s information technology business is based, one would think this was one debate in which I would not participate. However, on my walkabouts in the constituency I have on many occasions met people on the doorsteps who have expressed complete frustration over the poor internet service they are receiving. This is especially a problem for people living in the village of Finchampstead.

We live in a time where people’s access to the internet and mobile telephone signals is synonymous with their well being – as we use these tools in almost all our daily situations, our workplaces, our education institutions and our homes. It shapes all aspects of our lives and it is therefore imperative that access to superfast broadband is provided for everyone, both in the Bracknell constituency, and all over the country. Sadly, Britain is lagging behind other countries in the pursuit of securing superfast broadband for all of its citizens.

I believe that one of the solutions to securing access to superfast broadband in rural areas is satellite broadband. Through the use of space technology it is now possible to get broadband access at a minimum of 2 megabits a second anywhere in the country. In doing so, we will all be saving both time and money, and in addition, particularly when we are searching for environmentally friendly solutions, the implementation of sufficient satellite broadband capacity across the entire country will use considerably less energy than conventional broadband solutions.  Once the satellite is launched, it is powered by energy from the sun. Furthermore, it will be less intrusive in that it will not involve unnecessarily disruption of the road network to install the fibre optic cables.

Although BT has promised me personally that fibre optic cables will be delivered to the entire constituency by 2013, the schedule has already been put back somewhat. Even once installed there is no guarantee that every property will be served by this technology. Rather like the London Underground does not serve every London street, fibre optic cables will only generally serve population dense areas. Consequently, the use of such technology as satellite broadband will, I believe, be necessary to guarantee 100% coverage across the country.

Without doubt, access to superfast broadband will both enable and empower individuals to fully participate in the economy and in the wider society. It is for these reasons that securing access for all is essential for Britain’s future long-term prosperity and well being. I will continue to work hard to secure access to superfast broadband for all in Finchampstead.

(Published in The Wokingham Times on the 2nd of June 2011)