Burnham-On-Sea MP Ashley Fox has called for urgent improvements to rural broadband, saying communities across Somerset are being left behind with connections that are “simply not fit for purpose.”
His comments follow a Westminster Hall debate that he led on the issue, during which he argued that broadband now underpins almost every aspect of daily life and should be treated as a basic utility.
“Broadband is now woven into almost every part of daily life. Families rely on it to work, learn and access services. Businesses rely on it to trade, communicate and grow. Communities rely on it to stay connected. The idea that we once managed without it misses the point entirely. Times change, and with them the definition of what counts as a basic utility.”
“When I was a child, I remember family friends talking about electricity finally reaching their village in the 1940s. Today, none of us would accept a community being left without a reliable electricity supply. Broadband is heading in exactly the same direction. It underpins modern life in much the same way and yet too many rural communities are still being asked to make do with connections that simply are not fit for purpose.”
He adds: “I represent a Somerset constituency that is both rural and urban, which means I see this divide clearly. In towns, broadband is often taken for granted. In villages and hamlets, it is a constant source of frustration. Last year I surveyed residents across the rural parts of my constituency, asking them to rate their broadband on speed, reliability, customer service and value for money.”
“Unsurprisingly, those in larger villages reported the best service, and those in the most remote rural areas reported the worst. This is both inconvenient and damaging. We cannot expect rural businesses to survive, let alone thrive, if they are cut off from the digital world that the rest of the country takes for granted. Farmers and small business owners are required to deal with Government, banks and suppliers almost entirely online, yet are forced to do so with slow speeds, unreliable connections and constant dropouts.”
Burnham-On-Sea’s MP shared the experience of one constituent, Sue Felstead, who runs a restaurant at Greenway Farm in Wembdon. With download speeds of just 2Mbps, he says her business has struggled to process card payments and even play music without interruptions. She was eventually advised to install Starlink at a cost of £1,500 — something Sir Ashley said should “ring alarm bells.”
He also raised concerns about the delays faced by thousands of Somerset households after Airband, the company contracted to deliver fibre to more than 55,000 homes across Devon and Somerset, descoped large parts of its programme. More than 3,000 properties in this constituency have been left in limbo, he says, with some told they may have to wait until 2030 or later for a reliable connection.
“Families feel the impact too. Children struggle with online learning. Access to healthcare services becomes more difficult. Remote working opportunities, which could be a lifeline for rural areas, remain out of reach. Young people are placed at a disadvantage simply because of where they live.”
“There is no doubt that progress has been made nationally. Full fibre coverage has risen dramatically in recent years, from just 6% of households in 2018 to around 78% today. But we need to get that up to 100%. That transformation came from a clear strategy by the previous Conservative government that encouraged competition and investment.”
Ashley adds that while national full‑fibre coverage has risen significantly in recent years, rural communities still feel let down. He warned that waiting another decade for a basic service is “not a serious answer” and said confidence in rural areas is being undermined by slow progress and uncertainty.
He adds: “This issue of rural broadband is very important if my residents are to have confidence that they can live, enjoy life and run thriving businesses in the remote rural areas in Somerset.”
