PHILIP Dunne, formerly MP for Ludlow, has welcomed further public rollout of fibre broadband in South Shropshire, saying it will lead to a boost in local jobs in the future.

Across south Shropshire, the government-funded programme has made superfast broadband available to almost 18,000 homes and businesses which, with existing private sector provision, now covers 68.6 per cent of the Ludlow constituency.

By the end of the 2017, it is estimated superfast coverage across South Shropshire will achieve 78.8 per cent.

“Superfast broadband is increasingly becoming a necessity for homes and businesses and I welcome the fact nearly 18,000 homes and businesses in south Shropshire are now able to access fibre broadband thanks to the Connecting Shropshire rollout programme,” said Philip Dunne.

“Job creation in digital industries is nearly three times as fast as in the rest of the economy. So improving broadband coverage has real potential to encourage digital entrepreneurship and create skilled jobs in South Shropshire.

“But I am also pleased to see introduction of a new broadband universal service obligation through the digital economy bill. This will mean access to broadband at a minimum speed of 10Mbps will be available to all by the end of this parliament.

“Needless to say, this would be an enormous boost to many households in south Shropshire.”

But Philip Dunne said that an upgrade to the infrastructure did not necessarily mean that speeds would increase.

“It is important for local residents to note that when your local broadband cabinet is upgraded, your speed won’t necessarily increase automatically – it depends on the distance you are from the cabinet and the broadband package from your provider.

“So if you are not getting the speeds you need, it is worth checking whether you can upgrade.”

Residents can check whether their local cabinet has been upgraded at www.connectingshropshire.co.uk .