And, he says, Exmoor National Park Authority deserves a very large pat on the back for the effort it has put in to campaigning for the improvement.
Mr Liddell-Grainger, Conservative member for Bridgwater and West Somerset, was reacting after the Government confirmed funding would be provided to enable Covering Devon and Somerset, the local authorities’ consortium, to provide the service.
He said he was ‘relieved’ the Government had finally accepted how far parts of the South West were lagging behind the rest of the country in terms of broadband coverage.
“So many rural businesses find poor a poor broadband service now acting like a sheet anchor on their activities,” he said.
“The Government has already pledged to unlock the potential of the countryside because it realises what a huge contribution that could make to the rural economy.
“This is a valuable first step in ensuring businesses thrive and all-important jobs are created in a particularly disadvantaged area, and I am full of admiration for the way the National Park Authority has fought so doggedly to win this vital upgrade.”