“Fast and reliable connectivity is now a necessity and councils have been doing all they can to ensure this is rolled out to the hardest-to-reach areas."
Responding to a Digital Connectivity Forum report, which said the UK’s rollout of gigabit-capable broadband and 5G connectivity would benefit from improvements in communication, collaboration and consistency between local authorities and the telecoms industry, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, LGA digital connectivity spokesman said:
“Fast and reliable connectivity is now a necessity and councils have been doing all they can to ensure this is rolled out to the hardest-to-reach areas.
“We have been calling for a local digital champion in every local area, to act as a central point of contact to help extend gigabit-capable broadband and mobile coverage across the country as quickly as possible.
“Given the right funding and opportunity to work in partnership with government and providers, councils can play a far greater role targeting communities most in need, driving up demand and providing digital upskilling to support the rollout.
“Tackling the digital divide will be important to levelling up in every community, ensuring everyone has the connectivity they need to thrive.”