Tyrone Languishing Behind In Superfast Broadband Rankings
Concern has been once again expressed over the poor levels of superfast broadband in Co Tyrone.
Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Tom Elliott highlighted recent data from Ofcom, which revealed Tyrone’s three constituencies languish near the bottom of the UK rankings.
The Ofcom Infrastructure Report ranked all 650 UK constituencies on the capability of receiving broadband speeds in excess of 30Mb per second, with West Tyrone, Mid Ulster and Fermanagh and South Tyrone all faring poorly.
Mid Ulster, which ranked 543/650, was revealed as the worst in the north for superfast broadband, with just 54% of connections capable of achieving speeds of over 30Mb/s.
In West Tyrone, which came in at 534 in the table, it was found that 55% of connections could achieve superfast status.
Fermanagh and South Tyrone recorded the same percentage of superfast connections, but it was slightly further up the table at 529.
By comparison, in Belfast’s four constituencies, between 96- 97% of connections were capable of superfast status, placing them all in the UK top 50.
Speaking on the issue at Westminster, Tom Elliott said Tyrone had been neglected of superfast coverage, placing it well below the UK average of 71%.
“There needs to be a more in depth look into who can actually ascertain the superfast broadband, when there if fibre optic broadband is introduced into the area,” said the UUP MP.
“If fibre superfast broadband can be brought into a rural area, this should not be solely for one business, school or resident, but rather for the whole area.
“It is evident that Fermanagh and South Tyrone, and the general West of Northern Ireland, is being neglected and forgotten about. Investment in infrastructure is required, in the West, so that homes and businesses are able to reap the benefits of a superfast broadband connection. Further work needs to be done in co-ordination with the broadband providers and the Northern Ireland Executive so that superfast broadband can be used by all.”
Pledging to continue to speak up on behalf of local people and businesses to further enhance infrastructure, Mr Elliott added, “Superfast broadband availability should not be dependent on geography, there should be an equal footing when it comes to superfast broadband coverage.”
Source: ulsterherald.com
