Fund alternative solutions to provide better broadband to poorly connected areas

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

Having good broadband is vital but fibre cannot reach everyone. This is a major issue - Ofcom says there are over 500k properties that still can't get decent broadband (min 10 Mbps) via landline.

Funding must be provided to bring alternative broadband solutions to areas where needs are greatest.

Project Gigabit aims to provide full fibre broadband to 85% of UK properties by end 2025 at a £5 billion cost, but much is being spent in high population areas with good broadband already. The USO is also no help to many of the 15% of UK homes & businesses left out.

Alternative solutions are low-cost & installable anywhere immediately. EG using 4G to level up all digitally excluded UK premises with life-changing better broadband would only cost £300 per property - just 3% of that £5bn spend.

Why it was rejected

The UK Government or Parliament was already taking the action it asked for.

The Government's 'Project Gigabit' funding includes funding for alternative solutions to provide better broadband to poorly connected areas.

The Government has announced that a trial will see the extent to which satellites can be used to deliver high-speed connections to more than a dozen ‘very hard to reach’ locations: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/broadband-beamed-from-space-to-isolated-areas-under-plans-to-boost-countryside-internet-connections

We could accept a petition calling on the Government to increase funding that is available for alternative solutions to provide better broadband to poorly connected areas, if that's what you want to happen.

Timeline

4 Apr 2023	Petition opened for signatures
5 Apr 2023	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21

Status Rejected

Rejected 5 Apr 2023

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