RESEARCH by Ofcom shows Monmouthshire and Powys are languishing towards to bottom division for broadband provision reports GEMMA HARRIS.

Monmouth MP David Davies has expressed his disappointment at the new research.

The communications regulator assessed and ranked every local authority area in the UK according to a score given for the availability of superfast broadband, average broadband take-up, average maximum speeds and the percentage of homes with broadband currently not receiving 2Mbit/s speeds.

An interactive map was then produced online to provide an overall picture of broadband in different parts of the UK. Each area has been ranked on how they score on four broadband metrics, on a scale of one to five, with one the highest or fastest, and five the lowest or slowest.

The individual scores have been combined to provide an overall view of broadband in each area.

Monmouthshire was placed in the fifth and lowest category for superfast broadband availability, with just 16 per cent of households falling within the coverage area of superfast broadband networks. It was graded in category four with average speeds of 6.1Mbit/s, while 16.8 per cent of addresses receive less than 2Mbit/s speeds. Broadband take-up in Monmouthshire is 69 per cent. Overall it was placed fourth.

Powys was placed in the lowest category overall, with average speeds of 5.3Mbit/s, while 21.2 per cent of addresses receive less than 2Mbit/s speeds and zero per cent coverage of superfast broadband. However, 62 per cent of households have broadband.

As chairman of the Welsh Affairs Committee, Mr Davies is currently leading an inquiry into Broadband in Wales. Virgin, BT, FibreSpeed, the Country Land and Business Association and NFU Cymru are among those who have so far given evidence.

Mr Davies said, "Through the course of our inquiry, it has become quite clear that a lack of broadband is one of the main obstacles hampering companies seeking to set up in rural Wales.

"Monmouthshire, for example, is home to a thriving rural economy, with food and agri-businesses, online retailers, industrial manufacturers and farming and tourism businesses all desperate to exploit digital connectivity. Yet the lack of broadband communications is stifling their ability to grow.

"Broadband is no longer a luxury. Rather, it has become a necessity in the modern age in which we live.

"It's disappointing to see Monmouthshire, and indeed many other areas in Wales, lagging behind the rest of the UK and I hope the Committee will be able to report back with recommendations that will see improvements made across the board."