Government decision on broadband '˜overdue'

The announcement will see people and businesses able to demand higher speeds from 2020 in a bid to weed out poor availability across the UK.

“Good access to broadband is vital for small firms to be able to grow, reach new customers and be more productive,” said FSB NI policy chair Wilfred Mitchel.

“There are still far too many small businesses being held back due to slow speeds and poor coverage. The Universal Service Obligation (USO) must help these businesses compete in the digital economy.

“This year’s Ofcom Connected Nations Report demonstrated that a quarter of small businesses in Northern Ireland cannot access superfast coverage and 12 percent cannot access a decent connection of 10Mbps, which is the minimum standard set by the USO.”

He said it was encouraging to see that the next step in delivering the regulatory USO had been taken but added that there was “still a way to go”.

“Given that delivering broadband roll out is the responsibility of the devolved administration in Northern Ireland, we would sincerely hope that the continued absence of an Executive does not prevent small businesses from accessing a broadband connection which they require to run their business.