Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, has welcomed the news that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology have awarded Dorset Council £3.6 million as part of its Open Networks Ecosystem programme. The investment will be used to fund a project of research and development into how new technologies can transform the roll-out of mobile networks in rural areas until March 2025. The investment will also examine the use of alternatives to standard equipment used in more urban areas. The local MP said:
“This research and development investment will be utilised to investigate the affordability and sustainability of deploying telecommunications infrastructure to remote and hard to reach areas. I’m particularly pleased that Dorset has been awarded this funding, as stubborn blackspots still exist in our county and any additional attention in this area will help to unlock the potential of better connectivity for West Dorset”.
