I’m thrilled with today’s announcement by Openreach that they have chosen Salisbury to be their first entire city in the UK to have ultrafast full fibre broadband. As the Member of Parliament for Salisbury over the last nine years, I have made it my number one priority to campaign for infrastructure projects to transform the economic prospects of local residents. In meetings with Openreach last year, I repeatedly made the case for Salisbury and set out why we were the perfect choice to be the very first city in the UK to enjoy the benefits of universal access to their full fibre network.
With speeds of up to 1Gbps, this investment will deliver a quantum leap in broadband speeds across Salisbury. This is a fantastic outcome for domestic users, as more and more devices and functions become connected to the internet. But I am particularly pleased for the business community and our local economy. Access to ultrafast full fibre broadband across the entire city will make Salisbury a very attractive location for start-ups, tech firms and entrepreneurs, boosting new job opportunities for local residents. The full fibre network will also open up innovation in the delivery of public services and help develop further investment in our arts and culture offering.
Last year, Salisbury became known for a tragic incident that made headlines around the world. This announcement points to a much brighter future, with the city right at the cutting-edge of the rollout of new technology. Let’s embrace this opportunity and make ‘Silicon Salisbury’ a reality!
