MP urges Shropshire residents to test local broadband service
Philip Dunne MP today urged people across South Shropshire to test their broadband service and help Ofcom identify areas requiring further investment.
The Countryside Alliance presented an easy-to-use software tool to MPs in Parliament this week. It has teamed up for the BbFix project with the technology company Actual Experience, who were commissioned by Ofcom to provide evidence on addressing the quality of UK broadband. In many areas will not be achieved by simply upgrading the speed capacity of the network.
Once downloaded, BbFix software will identify the cause of slow or inconsistent broadband. The project can then crowd source data which will help some users to fix their broadband at home, fix problems with providers and improve the internet experience for people across the country.
Mr Dunne said:
“I have been surveying my constituents on a number of issues including broadband speed, so I am aware how much of an issue this can be. I urge residents across Shropshire to the run the BbFix tool on their home broadband and see if they can find out what’s holding them back.
“All government funding for improving broadband goes into local infrastructure, but this only accounts for 30 per cent of problems experienced online. Apparently for 20 per cent of internet users, their experience could be improved by simply understanding what is causing them to have slow or patchy coverage.”
Sarah Lee, of Countryside Alliance, said:
“The importance of broadband to rural households and businesses cannot be overestimated, yet there is still a marked digital divide between areas. The more people who run the BbFix software the more data is collected about the problems affecting UK internet use and the greater opportunity we have to improve broadband connectivity for all.”
Dave Page, founder of Actual Experience, added:
“With BbFix, we can all investigate the quality of our connection and take steps to get right changes made. In an astonishing 25 per cent of cases, the source of the problem is an old or misconfigured router, which people can resolve themselves.”
The software is available free to download from the website www.actual-experience.com/bbfix. BbFix does not capture any data about you or your online activity. If you have any questions about the download process, contact support@actual-experience.com.
