Housing developers must ensure all new builds have a digital connection ‘fit for the 21st century’, council chiefs say as they call for a Fibre to the Premises Kitemark.

New analysis by thinkbroadband found that 17% of rural new builds built last year were unable to achieve the Government’s broadband universal service obligation’s minimum download speed of 10Mbps and upload speed of 1Mbps.

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connectivity, where optical fibre is run all the way through to the premises, typically provides download speeds up to 1Gbps as well as very high upload speeds.

However, according to thinkbroadband’s research, only 32% of properties built in rural England in 2017 are connected by FTTP broadband.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for housing developers to adopt a FTTP Kitemark to reassure homebuyers they are purchasing a property with a good digital connection.

‘Connecting our rural residents to future-proofed, fast and reliable broadband is vital to helping them get on in life and benefit from the advantages that decent digital connectivity can bring,’ said Cllr Mark Hawthorne, chairman of the LGA’s People and Places Board.

‘The standard of digital connectivity we provide to our new build homes should reflect our national ambition to roll out world-class digital infrastructure across the country.

‘Residents will no longer tolerate digital connectivity taking a backseat in developers’ plans.

‘We call on the Government, homebuilders and the broadband industry to work with us and develop the details of this proposal and give homebuyers the confidence to invest in a new home, knowing they won’t be stuck in the digital slow lane.’