Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural Areas Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
David Smith
Main Page: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)Department Debates - View all David Smith's debates with the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural Areas
David Smith Excerpts(1 day, 19 hours ago)
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Caroline Voaden
I absolutely agree. In the society we live in today, it is fundamental to planning that connectivity should be considered at the earliest stages of any new development.
I am on my last line, if anybody wants to intervene.
David Smith
I thank the hon. Lady for giving way, especially on her last line. One of the key issues with rurality is that we often depend on mobile signal because of the sparsity of the areas we represent, such as my constituency of North Northumberland. We can be profoundly impacted by storms as a result, and we should be looking to build in contingencies such as generators for mobile masts. The Government should consider simple things like that.
Caroline Voaden
I thank the hon. Member for his excellent contribution.
Digital connectivity is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity, and it is time to treat rural communities with the same priority as urban areas.