Nus Ghani sought assurances from Openreach, with regards to their plan to start upgrades to full-fibre broadband in Hailsham, Horsebridge, Lower Dicker, Upper Dicker and Forest Row, within the next months.
Ghani met with Clive Selly, the CEO of Openreach, and Michael Salter-Church, the company’s Director of External Affairs and Policy, in Parliament and brought the cases of local residents to their attention. Discussions ranged from the progress of current plans, to future opportunities to roll out high-speed coverage uniformly throughout the constituency.
Nus Ghani wanted to make sure that the agreed timetable for the roll-out of high-speed broadband would be delivered. The timescale of the project is 14 months, with the ambition of ‘breaking ground’ as soon as possible. BT Openreach representatives have agreed to update her on any progress to do with the roll-out and the works.
She stated:
‘Poor broadband is one of the top frustrations for Wealden residents, as it limits the capacity of businesses to carry out their work and the ability of students to research for their schoolwork. It was good to raise the impact of poor coverage directly with Clive Selly and Michael Salter-Church, who are responsible for rolling out full-fibre broadband.’
‘I have had many productive meetings with the senior team of BT Openreach in the past, as I have long campaigned for reliable broadband. It is good to have strong assurances that service will improve and Wealden is set for 21st century broadbands speeds very soon.’
‘One of my foremost duties as Member of Parliament for Wealden is to make sure that residents can carry out their daily activities online, free from the fear of pages never loading or taking ages to load. I was elected on a promise to make that happen and will take every opportunity to make sure that Openreach deliver on their side of the promise.’
