Agenda item

Daniel Shamplin-Hall, Adviser, introduced the paper and provided an update on LGA activity. He advised the board that there would be a Superfast Broadband Conference on Thursday 17^th March 2016. During this, solutions would be explored for reaching the final 5% of the country not covered by superfast broadband. This would be an opportunity to hear about other market test pilots, other network providers and councils with experience of procuring solutions. On mobile connectivity, he informed the board that the government had obligated mobile operators to extend coverage across the country by 2017. The LGA would work with mobile network operators in this area.

In this discussion which followed, members raised the following points:

·         Members expressed their concern that many rural areas are still cut off from superfast broadband. It was felt that enforcement fines needed to be put in place to deal with this.

·         The quality of broadband was also discussed as it could take a long time to get a connection after a cabinet went up in a rural area. It was felt that there was less incentive to speed up this process where low numbers of people lived. Community funding was discussed and groups that had self-funded their broadband.

·         Members felt that some mobile phone operators lacked understanding on how to engage with local communities. Local authorities needed to help mobile phone operators to reach these communities.

Decision:

1.    Members noted the report.

Actions:

1.    LGA officers to put together feedback from members on this area.

2.    LGA officers to send a note on the Superfast Broadband Conference to members.