Dunne calls for Shropshire to get superfast broadband - without an unfair phone tax

Local MP Philip Dunne today welcomed new Conservative plans to deliver the roll out of superfast broadband at speeds of up to 100 Mbps across Shropshire by 2017. This stands in stark contrast to the Government's new £7 per year 'phone tax' on every telephone line.

Gordon Brown's Government wants to impose a new £6 + VAT tax which will be levied on every fixed telephone line in all homes and businesses across the country. Homes with multiple lines might pay multiple times. The tax would be levied on homes with and without broadband access.

Conservatives have unveiled alternative proposals to increase competition and introduce superfast broadband across the United Kingdom. The action plan will:

• Open up BT's 'local loop' monopoly to other telecommunication operators, and review unfair business rate rules.
• Investigate the use of sewers and other utility infrastructure to lay broadband cables.
• Allow telegraph poles to be fitted with fibre optic cables, rather than old fashioned copper wire.
• Ensure that all new homes are capable of receiving superfast broadband through a fibre to the home network.
• Use money currently allocated to the digital TV national switchover to help establish a universal network, and after 2012, look at using this money to ensure superfast broadband reaches rural areas.

At present, 83% of homes in the West Midlands have a fixed telephone line, and 57% have access to some form of broadband internet access.

Mr Dunne said:

"I have been working hard for several years to bring broadband to the infamous 'not-spots', those parts of Shropshire still unable to get broadband. The Switch on Shropshire initiative of Shropshire Council and its predecessor authorities has played a vital role. I am now looking to help Shropshire Council and other public sector groups to consider pooling their fibre optic backbone and to help community groups to use wireless networks to develop broadband access on an affordable basis.

Shropshire's homes and businesses deserve access to the latest 21st Century technology. It's time to end the digital divide and deliver superfast broadband to all parts of the country, including rural areas of Shropshire over a reasonable and realistic timeframe. So I welcome Conservative plans to open up the BT monopoly and increase competition, while Labour's solution is to hit homes with an unfair new phone tax. There seems to be nothing which Gordon Brown won't tax: yet another reason why it's time for change."