Dr Luke Evans, the Member of Parliament for Bosworth, has welcomed a huge increase in gigabit-capable broadband since being elected, from 0.2% of households and businesses across Hinckley and Bosworth in January 2019 to over 67% today.
In response to a question raised by the local MP, the Minister for Digital Infrastructure shared news that access to fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband (speeds over 1,000Mbps) had increased drastically in four years.
As of March 2023, 67.4% of premises (households and businesses) across the Bosworth constituency had access to faster broadband, compared to only 0.2% in January 2019. During the same period, gigabit-capable coverage across Leicestershire has risen from 1.7% to over 70%.
As part of Project Gigabit – the Government’s £5 billion scheme to deliver reliable broadband across the United Kingdom – up to 2,900 premises in Bosworth are likely to be included in procurements over the coming weeks which will enable suppliers to build gigabit-capable infrastructure for premises that will not be reached by commercial plans alone.
The Bosworth constituency has also made good use of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, with more than 50 premises having claimed and received payment for a voucher through the scheme at a total value of almost £85,000.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said “Improving broadband locally has been really important for me as your MP and I am so pleased to see such progress. We’re a rural area and poor connectivity has blighted residents for years, so this is huge news for families and businesses across our community!
“I have been keen to seek out houses and businesses who have struggled, and I am pleased to have helped hundreds of local homes, from Burbage and Stoke Golding to Far Coton and Osbaston, get connected to superfast broadband after their areas were left behind.
“If there are any communities in Hinckley and Bosworth still suffering from poor broadband, please contact me on [email protected] and I will work with BT Openreach to find a solution.”
The Minister for Digital Infrastructure, Julia Lopez MP, added “We are committed to increasing this coverage further through Project Gigabit, the Government’s £5 billion mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband across the UK.
“Alongside this, Leicestershire County Council is delivering a GigaHubs project, funded by Building Digital UK, which includes 12 sites across Bosworth. The sites will act as hubs bringing gigabit-capable broadband into the heart of hard-to-reach communities for the first time, making it more commercially attractive for suppliers to deliver gigabit connectivity to the surrounding communities.”
