One of my top priorities for Staffordshire Moorlands is to protect our rural areas. I have taken up many local residents’ concerns over the last 9 and a half years concerning broadband and connectivity and will continue to apply my experience in government to get better broadband in rural areas.
We are setting out today how will make poor mobile phone signal a thing of the past, ensuring no community is held back because of poor digital infrastructure.
Currently only 66 per cent of the UK landmass has geographic coverage for customers of all four network operators. This will rise to 95 per cent or more under our plan.
In our first 100 days, we will finalise a £1 billion agreement with mobile phone operators to pool existing phone masts, and build new ones, bringing dramatically improved mobile service to the countryside.
This builds on a raft of commitments by this Conservative Government to ensure that rural areas are not left behind, including £5 billion to accelerate the rollout of the highest-speed internet across the country – eradicating the digital divide, boosting regional economic growth and improving productivity.
Vote for me, Karen Bradley, your Conservative Candidate on 12th December.