Kent County Council demands urgent action over stalled broadband rollout

The Digital Divide Widens

Struggling with rubbish broadband in rural Kent? You’re not alone.

Kent County Council has had enough. According to the council, they’ve formally called on the government to sort out what the council describes as Building Digital UK’s troubled gigabit rollout – because according to KCC, it’s gone badly across the county.

Villages and coastal communities are still battling connections that wouldn’t embarrass a 1990s dial-up service. It’s not just annoying anymore. People can’t work from home, access NHS services online, or even hunt for decent energy deals while bills spiral. The cost-of-living crisis meets the digital stone age – and guess who loses?

Where the System Falls Short

Building Digital UK runs Project Gigabit. Supposed to bring gigabit broadband to hard-to-reach areas.

KCC’s public criticism suggests serious local frustration with delays and coverage gaps. The county’s own 2021 report on digital exclusion makes grim reading – residents in deprived communities and older people in rural areas face the highest risk of being left behind. Poor connectivity means they can’t access online-only council services, miss digital-only deals that could save them money, and find themselves increasingly cut off from modern life.

Local Efforts Hit National Roadblocks

KCC isn’t just moaning from the sidelines. Their Digital Kent programme has run around 50 digital drop-ins to help residents build skills and confidence. SGN and UK Power Networks partly fund the initiative, which focuses especially on helping people use digital tools to slash energy bills. But according to council leaders, their efforts can only go so far when the underlying infrastructure remains poor.

You can teach someone online banking. If their connection keeps dropping out, what’s the point?

The programme provides recycled devices and one-to-one sessions, targeting those most at risk of fuel poverty and digital exclusion. Yet without the promised government-backed infrastructure improvements, these local solutions feel like sticking a plaster on a gaping wound.

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t about faster Netflix. Poor connectivity affects everything – from accessing NHS services online to children doing homework. Rural businesses struggle to compete. And that “levelling up” promised for areas outside major cities? Still a distant prospect.

KCC’s stance reflects broader tensions between local authorities trying to deliver for residents and national programmes that don’t always match local needs. Or timescales. Or reality.

Key Takeaways

• Kent County Council has formally demanded urgent government action over delayed broadband rollout
• Building Digital UK’s gigabit programme is behind schedule in rural and coastal Kent communities
• Local digital inclusion efforts are being undermined by poor underlying infrastructure

What This Means for Kent Residents

If you’re in a rural area still waiting for decent broadband, KCC is now fighting your corner at the highest level. The council’s Digital Kent programme continues to offer free support with digital skills and devices – contact them if you need help navigating online services or finding better energy deals. But the real change you need will only come when the government gets its national broadband programme back on track.