With Salisbury well on the way to becoming the country’s first full fibre city and fully subsidised improvements to broadband speeds already rolled out across much of the area, I know that it is intensely frustrating for the constituency’s remaining not-spots.
I have long said that bespoke solutions may be required for some places which are either very remote or which pose unusual logistical challenges, putting them beyond the reach of conventional technology.
One such solution has long been under development in the Chalke Valley and I was delighted to see it secure £2.3m funding from the government as part of the Rural Connected Communities competition.
I could not be more pleased that the Chalke Valley will now be at the cutting edge of research and development into how we make sure that rural communities are fully connected.
The funding announcement for the Chalke Valley is a great success for James Body, the Technical Architect of the MONeH Consortium, who has worked so hard to secure investment.
I have known James for a number of years now and been a strong supporter of what he has been working to achieve, so it’s great to see all the hard work pay off.
I am very hopeful that what can be achieved with 5G in the Chalke Valley can be rolled out in other rural areas.
Along with the Openreach full fibre rollout and over £15m for new road junctions in Salisbury, it is fantastic to see investment pouring into South Wiltshire and it is crucial that rural communities are not left behind as we upgrade our infrastructure and enhance connectivity.
Education will be at the forefront of my mind on Friday, when I am due to visit Wiltshire College to catch up on the exciting developments there.
I am also visiting two primary schools – one to speak to young politics club members and the other to take part in a kickstart money session – bringing basic financial education into schools so that children reach adulthood confident about how to manage their money.
In the evening, I have accepted an invitation to debate the always emotionally charged subject of assisted dying with a group of local doctors. I look forward to what I am sure will be a testing but stimulating conversation.
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