Member of Parliament for The Cotswolds, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, has recently uncovered figures which show excellent rollout figures of fast broadband across The Cotswolds constituency, which includes all of Cotswolds District Council and four wards of Stroud District Council. This area covers 49,345 residential premises including privately owned caravans.

The new coverage includes 13,213 covered under commercial plans, 22,704 in Fastershire phase 1, 10,806 in Fastershire phase 2 and 1,320 under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). This amounts to a total coverage of 97.4% - surpassing the Government’s pledge of 95% nationally by the end of the year.

It should be stressed that these figures only cover availability as it is up to the respective homeowner to decide whether they wish to connect to broadband or not. This coverage still leaves 1,302 hard to reach or remote premises to without a solution.

Mr Clifton-Brown would like to pay tribute to Fastershire, which is a partnership between Gloucestershire and Herefordshire County Councils, for having achieved this level of coverage across the most rural part of Gloucestershire.

Commenting on the new figures, Mr Clifton-Brown said:

‘I have recently connected to fast broadband myself and it has transformed my life. Not only are download and upload speeds significantly faster but it has also improved my telephone and television service immeasurably.

‘I absolutely understand the frustration for all those constituents who still do not have any or a slow internet connection. I would like to assure those of you that I will be working find a solution to this as soon as is practical.’