South Shropshire MP condemns 'glacial' pace of gigabit broadband rollout
Stuart Anderson, the Member of Parliament for South Shropshire, has issued a scathing assessment of the government’s digital infrastructure progress, warning that rural communities are being "neglected" as connection targets slip.
During a high-level meeting in Parliament on 14 April 2026, Mr Anderson confronted Broadband Minister Baroness Liz Lloyd of Effra CBE over the sluggish delivery of Project Gigabit.
Despite the Minister’s previous assurances during a visit to Stottesdon in March that Shropshire would remain a priority, the MP highlighted a stark disparity between government promises and the reality on the ground. Recent data indicates that while 52,060 premises are currently under contract across North Herefordshire, North Wales, Shropshire, and South West Wales, a mere 350 connections have been physically completed to date.
The pace of the rollout has drawn particular ire from the South Shropshire representative. Although the number of connections rose from 80 in January to 350 by mid-March, Mr Anderson pointed out that at the current rate of roughly one hundred properties per month, it would take more than four decades to fulfil the existing contracts. This timeline stands in direct contrast to the government’s revised objective of achieving 99% nationwide coverage by 2032.
Further frustration stems from the recent shifting of goalposts regarding completion dates. The government’s original manifesto committed to full nationwide coverage by 2030, but this target was pushed back by two years following the Chancellor’s 2025 Spending Review. Mr Anderson argued that this delay is not merely a matter of administrative inconvenience but a significant blow to the rural economy. He noted that the two-year setback represents a lost opportunity to address the "rural productivity gap," where average earnings and access to professional training consistently lag behind urban centres.
The economic stakes for South Shropshire are considerable. Currently, productivity in the most rural areas of England reaches only 82% of the national average when London is excluded. Mr Anderson cited research from the Countryside Alliance suggesting that the lack of robust infrastructure is a direct threat to the expansion of small firms. With rural areas home to 28% of all UK businesses, including over one million small enterprises, the MP maintains that the digital divide is actively stifling growth and limiting the aspirations of local residents.
While the meeting included senior officials from Building Digital UK (BDUK) and the Digital Infrastructure Directorate, the focus remained firmly on the urgency of the situation. Beyond broadband, BDUK is also tasked with the Shared Rural Network, a scheme designed to bolster 4G mobile coverage in remote areas.
However, for the people of South Shropshire, the immediate concern remains the "lightning-fast" fibre upgrades promised by the government - upgrades that Mr Anderson insists must be delivered far more rapidly if the 2032 deadline is to remain anything more than a distant ambition.
