Issue - meetings

Tor receive the report from the Service Manager for Digital Place

Service Manager for Digital Place introduced the item by highlighting the importance of reliable broadband and mobile connectivity across Dorset. He explained that while national policy focuses on overall connectivity figures, the Council is also concerned with the real-life local impact on communities. Although some progress has been made, current commercial and government subsidy investment levels remain below what is needed to meet local demand.

Following the presentation, councillors discussed a range of issues, including:

•       The delivery and progress of the BDUK/Wessex Internet contract, and limitations inline with subsidy rules.

•       Concerns about reliance on commercial build and the slow pace of deployment in less commercially viable areas.

•       Discrepancies between Ofcom data and residents’ experiences of mobile coverage, now supported by Streetwave data.

•       The need for better coordination between infrastructure providers and planning authorities.

•       Opportunities to use council-owned assets (e.g. streetlights, farms, church spires) to support small cell deployments.

•       Concerns around lower level of government investment in Dorset compared to other regions.

•       The importance of using local case studies and councillor engagement to influence national bodies and improve outcomes.

Recommendations

The Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee requested that the team focus on a case study already identified, to explore how barriers to connectivity were overcome. This should help create a framework that can be used to support improvements in other areas.

The committee requested that the Streetwave data report be split by MP constituency to better understand and address localised connectivity issues. More locally focussed reports can be created on request.

The committee requested progress updates to reflect connectivity improvements on a recurring basis.