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Matt Hancock MP and John Lamont MP
Matt Hancock MP and John Lamont MP

Better Broadband and Connectivity

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John Lamont MP

Poor broadband and mobile signal is one of the most common causes of complaints in the Borders, and rightly so. Our current lack of connectivity is holding businesses back and it is unfair for consumers to be paying the same as someone in the central belt, for a much inferior service. It rightly frustrates residents and businesses in the Borders. 

I have worked hard with a number of local communities to secure better rural broadband and have helped hundreds of individuals with broadband problems, but we need real change and fast.

The UK Government is delivering on plans to require broadband providers to offer 100% superfast broadband across the UK by creating a new universal service obilgation. They are also forcing mobile phone providers to improve reception in black spots. I look forward to working with them to achieve this. 

However, the Scottish Government has a role to play too. The Borders has received a paltry 4% of the SNP's Community Broadband Scotland scheme funds which they launched to "help transform broadband provision."

Greater funds need to be made available and I have long argued that the fund should be opened up to individual households, charities and businesses, not just community groups. 

If you have a problem with your broadband or mobile signal, please get in touch and I will do my best to help.

News

John Lamont MP

Borderlands accelerated as Chancellor announces spending

Wednesday, 25 November, 2020

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a raft of new measures to protect jobs amid the serious economic hit from coronavirus, including an acceleration of the Borderlands Growth Deal.

Openreach announce Borders towns getting better broadband

Thursday, 30 July, 2020

Openreach have announced that Galashiels, Tweedbank, Selkirk, Hawick and Peebles are to benefit from faster broadband. The telecoms giant published a list of 251 locations across the UK that will get Fibre to the Premises (FTTP).

John Lamont MP

Borders to benefit from £1bn mobile network investment

Tuesday, 10 March, 2020

Yesterday, the four mobile network operators in the UK – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – signed a £1bn agreement with the UK Government to extend rural mobile coverage via the Shared Rural Network. The deal involves the operators sharing network equipment to better serve rural areas.

Kelso, Maxwellheugh and Sprouston in line for full fibre broadband

Tuesday, 28 January, 2020

Openreach have unveiled plans to supply Kelso, Maxwellheugh and Sprouston with full fibre broadband.

John Lamont MP

Lamont backs December election

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

Local MP John Lamont has said he will be voting again for a General Election this evening as the only way to get Brexit sorted.

 

SNP finally making progress over broadband, but key project remains a year behind schedule

Friday, 11 October, 2019

The Scottish Government has finally announced that BT will be awarded contracts for its key broadband programme a year later than previously planned.

R100, or the Reaching 100% programme, is the SNP’s pledge to roll out super-fast broadband to 100% of Scotland’s inhabitants by 2021.

Scottish Government need to come clean over delays to broadband programme

Thursday, 15 August, 2019

Local MP John Lamont has said the Scottish Government needs to ‘come clean’ on their ability to connect every home to superfast broadband by 2021.

R100, or the Reaching 100% programme, is the SNP’s pledge to roll out super-fast broadband to 100% of Scotland’s inhabitants by 2021.

John Lamont MP

New £395m Borderlands Growth Deal Agreed

Friday, 5 July, 2019

A new £395m growth deal for the Scottish Borders and wider Borderlands region has been signed today.

Representatives from the UK Government, the Scottish Government and five councils that represent the region were in Peebles today to sign the Heads of Terms for investment.

Half of homes in the Borders not getting future legal minimum broadband speeds

Wednesday, 1 May, 2019

A new report from consumer watchdog Which? has found that nearly half of all homes in the Borders are getting broadband speeds below the legal minimum which is due to come in to force next year.

John Lamont MP

UK Government announces backing for Borders Railway feasibility study

Monday, 1 April, 2019

The UK Government has announced it is backing a full feasibility study into bringing the Borders Railway to Hawick, Newcastleton and on to Carlisle.

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John Lamont MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk

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