A business delegation from across East Anglia will visit Westminster on Monday (22^nd September) to push for improvements to mobile phone signal and broadband in rural areas.

The meeting with Ed Vaizey, Minister for the Digital Economy, is the latest step in an on-going campaign to escalate issues with connectivity in rural areas and to demand faster improvements.

Led by Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman, the campaign involves representatives from agricultural co-operative Anglia Farmers, the CLA, the NFU, the Federation of Small Businesses and Local Enterprise Partnerships in the region.

At Monday’s meeting, the group will outline the economic and social case for a pilot project in East Anglia to offer improved broadband through satellite and wireless technologies. This can then also allow for 3G mobile signal to be generated through Open Sure Signal devices.

The digital divide steering group has met regularly since early spring 2014 with the aim of bringing together ideas, technology and resources in order to develop a focused direction for future investment and improvements.

George Freeman MP commented, "Fast broadband is vital to economic prosperity, especially for rural areas like ours that have been left behind for too long. That’s why I’ve spent four and half years since becoming the MP for Mid Norfolk campaigning to end this Digital Divide, culminating in a pan-Anglia summit last spring which achieved the backing of countryside organisations, businesses and local authorities all over our region.

"Following the success of these broadband summits, the Digital Divide campaign moves a stage further on Monday by meeting with the Minister for the Digital Economy to press our case for getting our rural areas fully connected. I believe we have a chance to unlock a ‘rural renaissance’ of enterprise – putting more jobs and working people back in our rural communities, so we can have heritage and prosperity."

Clarke Willis, chief executive of Anglia Farmers, added, "As a co-operative we manage more than 14,000 mobile phone contracts on behalf of members and we recognise the frustration which poor signal causes for those trying to live and work in rural areas.

"This visit is an excellent opportunity for us to escalate awareness of these issues to the highest level and push for concrete improvements."