Rural areas around Goole set for faster broadband?

Goole MP Andrew Percy has had a met with officials to discuss high speed broadband for rural areas and mobile phone coverage.

Mr Percy met with Adam Higgitt, the head of Government and Parliamentary Businesses at regulator Ofcom and Graham Louth, director of Spectrum Markets.

The MP said the meeting was important for rural communities suffering from slow-fixed internet speed and poor mobile phone signal.

Ofcom told Mr Percy that they are set to auction mobile phone spectrum freed up from things such as the switch from analogue to digital TV.

4G technology

Stipulations attached to the auction would mean at least 98 per cent of the population would be covered by signal from next generation 4G technology, increasing mobile sped and voice coverage.

Ofcom said they were looking at linking these proposals to the Coalition Government's £150m investment to improve mobile phone signal in the hardest to reach places.

The meeting follows last year's announcement that the Humber region would get £8.5m of funding for proposals which include 90% of our area having access to super-fast broadband.

The proposals mean the remaining 10% should have speeds of at least 2Mbps allowing fast browsing and the use of video streaming services like the BBC's iPlayer.

Mr Percy said: "For many communities mobile phone and broadband coverage is insufficient. Meeting with Ofcom, it was clear that the roll out of 4G mobile coverage has the potential to increase broadband speeds and coverage to all but the most isolated of communities.

"With the Government committed to broadband coverage to 90% of homes, much of the remaining 10% could potentially be covered by 4G.

"The Internet is becoming an increasing part of peoples home and work lives. A failure to roll out broadband properly puts rural communities at a distinct disadvantage to more urban communities."