Amanda Milling, Member of Parliament for Cannock Chase, has raised the frustration of residents who are left without fibre optic internet connections.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the Cannock Chase MP raised the plight of residents of housing developments, like Chasewater Grange in Norton Canes, which have not been connected to fibre optic internet infrastructure.
Last year an agreement was reached to ensure all new developments with thirty houses or more are connected to fibre optic broadband, however many developments built prior to this agreement are left without a decent internet connection. The Cannock Chase MP wants to see broadband treated the same as other utilities such as gas, water and electricity, with all housing developments getting the best possible internet connection. Modern internet speeds are essential for completing homework assignments, internet banking, streaming media services, working from home and skyping friends and family across the world. However, when residents have a poor internet connection, much of this isn’t possible.
Amanda Milling said: “Many residents of Chasewater Grange have contacted me to explain the problems that they are facing with internet speeds. It is astonishing that new developments are being built without superfast broadband connectivity. The residents have made some progress in securing funding from both Openreach and Taylor Wimpey to complete the work and install fibre-based broadband. However, the residents of Chasewater Grange still face a funding shortfall and I hope Superfast Staffordshire can help them. It shouldn’t be the job of residents to fight to get the internet speeds they need, broadband should be given the same priority as other utilities like gas, water and electricity.”
Amanda Milling added: “This issue isn’t isolated to Norton Canes. I know of other homes across Cannock Chase both on relatively new estates and in rural areas that still do not have access to fast broadband speeds. We must ensure that the nation is on superfast broadband because it is essential for modern life and a must for many businesses, especially when they are competing with a global market.”