A NEW forum held its first meeting in Holsworthy, with an aim of finding ways to improve the speed and reliability of broadband connectivity in the area.

Led by Sir Geoffrey Cox, the member of parliament for the Torridge and Tavistock constituency, the event at Holsworthy Memorial Hall brought together representatives of the different broadband providers. They answered questions from parish councils and others relating to the services being provided to the mostly rural constituency served by the MP.

The event came amid concerns over the significant ‘blackspots’ that remain in areas already encumbered by poor mobile signal.

Sir Geoffrey said after: “I held the first Torridge and Tavistock Connectivity Forum, bringing together all the broadband providers to answer questions from parish councils and others about the service in our communities and the planned extension of fast and gigabit broadband to them.

“My summer surgery made it clear that significant blackspots remain in some of our most remote areas, often alongside poor mobile coverage.

“The forum was designed as the first step toward tackling these problems: a forum in which those affected, providers, and parish representatives could speak openly, share detailed information, and build a clearer picture of what is needed to accelerate the rollout of reliable broadband throughout Torridge and Tavistock. Through this forum, we then intend to coordinate efforts to bring solutions to the small rural communities that otherwise might be left out of the commercial plans of the big providers.

“Later, I visited Wildanet in Bideford, a local company that is expanding its gigabit network in Devon. I was grateful to them both for attending the Forum and for inviting me to their Bideford premises to discuss how they can help our efforts.

“If you are affected by this issue and the lack of fast or gigabit broadband, please let me know on [email protected]