Digital ambition must be delivered at digital pace

One of the major issues that I’ve been speaking about at the political party conferences recently is how to get gigabit internet rolled out right across the country as quickly as possible.

The UK led the way in the first industrial revolution, and we should do the same again in the fourth.

It’s a big opportunity with a significant prize.

For starters, there’s a strong economic case. Ultra fast broadband can give a much-needed boost to productivity and unlock new innovations right across the country.

But perhaps even more compelling is the social case:

- Closing regional imbalances

- Flexible working a reality no matter where you live

- Quicker, more accessible healthcare.

Investment in digital infrastructure was one of the big-ticket items of the Chancellor’s spending announcements, with £5bn dedicated to the hardest-to-reach rural areas of the UK.

Welcome investment that will accelerate roll-out and reflects months of campaigning by the CBI.

But investment is just one