Shropshire MPs Slam Slow Full Fibre Broadband Rollout Delays

Two Members of Parliament from Shropshire have raised concerns about the slow progress of full fibre broadband in their county. Helen Morgan, who represents North Shropshire, said that her constituents were promised full fibre broadband by the end of this year. Instead, they have faced years of uncertainty, delays, and changing plans. She expressed frustration that people are still waiting for the fast internet they were told they would get. Stuart Anderson, the MP for South Shropshire, also complained that Shropshire is being neglected and not getting the same attention as other areas.

Shropshire Council responded by saying that it is one of the best-connected rural areas in the United Kingdom. According to the council, 99. 6 percent of homes and businesses in Shropshire already have access to superfast broadband. The council also mentioned the government's Project Gigabit programme, which has helped connect about 3,400 hard-to-reach homes and businesses to full fibre broadband. They expect to help another 22,000 by the year 2030. The council admitted that there is still work to do to improve internet speeds and mobile connectivity, but they believe the situation is getting better.

However, the Project Gigabit programme faced a setback when the contractor Freedom Fibre withdrew from the project. Because of this, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology decided to add more than 8,700 homes and businesses to an existing contract with Openreach, a company that already covers other parts of Shropshire. Helen Morgan is worried that this change could mean rural communities will have to wait even longer for fast broadband. She said that families and businesses who were promised reliable internet are now facing more delays.

Openreach responded by saying that it has already delivered full fibre broadband to more than 175,000 homes and businesses in Shropshire, including 71 percent in North Shropshire. Stuart Anderson recently met with Broadband Minister Liz Lloyd to discuss his concerns. He was told that Shropshire would not be left behind in the rollout of reliable broadband. However, Anderson pointed out that the government's timeline for connecting 99 percent of homes and businesses to gigabit-capable broadband has been pushed back from 2030 to 2032.

This situation has left many people in Shropshire feeling frustrated and disappointed. Good internet is important for families, students, and businesses, especially in rural areas. The delays and changes have made it hard for people to trust that the promises will be kept. The council and the government say they are working to improve things, but many people are still waiting for the fast and reliable broadband they need. The story highlights the challenges of bringing modern technology to rural communities and the importance of keeping promises to the public.