SDLP Derry Councillor Sinead McLaughlin is seeking assurances that the roll-out of high speed broadband will reach people, communities and businesses in the North West.
Research carried out by communications regulator Ofcom has shown that about 40,000 premises still cannot get the broadband speeds required by a typical user which is around 30 megabits (mbgs) per second.
Rural areas were the worst affected, said the research.
Said Cllr McLaughlin: “The digital deficit across the North doesn’t just mean people in rural towns can’t access Netflix.
“It means that rural businesses struggle to access online banking, make digital tax returns or offer the online presence that modern consumers expect as standard.
“It also means that students in many of our communities can’t access reliable internet speeds for study or job applications.
“In an age where online services are a necessity, not an added luxury, it isn’t acceptable.
“Communities in the North West cannot continue to suffer from this digital divide.
SDLP Waterside councillor Sinead McLaughlin
“The Universal Service Obligation commitments simply have not been met in large portions of the North.
“I will be seeking assurances that the new rollout of broadband services under Project Stratum will reach our communities and that no one will be left behind.”
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