East Derry MLA Gerry Mullan was one of three SDLP members who have pushed rural broadband to the top of the Assembly agenda
Along with party colleagues, Justin McNulty, Sinead Bradley, Mr Mullan (pictured) highlighted the chronic lack of broadband provision in rural areas and called for Minister for the Economy to step up efforts to remedy the deficiency between rural and urban broadband provision.
Ms Bradley said: “There is chronic digital dereliction in rural areas where businesses, schools and homeowners struggle to reach even basic levels of broadband speed and connectivity. ‘Not spots’ as they have become known don't only impact on business, but also on rural families, on their children’s education and on their ability to drive economic growth and productivity.
“The failure of the Executive to address this issue is just another example of their willingness to allow certain communities to fall further and further behind.”
“It is no longer the case that broadband speeds can be considered a luxury. They have become standard in most households and fundamental necessity for any businesses hoping to compete in an increasingly global and connected market. Improving access to broadband for all of our citizens must be a priority.”
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