In a major announcement today, Labour will set out plans to deliver fast and free broadband for all, by bringing parts of BT into public ownership and creating a new British Broadband public service.

The next Labour government will undertake a massive upgrade in the UK’s internet infrastructure, delivering fast, secure, reliable internet connections for everyone and putting an end to patchy and slow coverage. This will boost 5G connectivity across the country.

At present, only 8-10% of premises in the UK are connected to full-fibre broadband compared to 97% in Japan and 98% in South Korea. The roll out will begin with communities that have the worst broadband access, including rural and remote communities and some inner city areas, followed by towns and smaller centres, and then by areas that are currently well-served by superfast or ultrafast broadband.

The plan will be paid for through Labour’s Green Transformation fund and taxing multinational corporations such as Amazon, Facebook and Google, and save the average person £30.30 a month.

The internet has become such a central part of our lives, opening up opportunities for work, creativity, entertainment and friendship. What was once a luxury is now an essential utility.

It’s time to make the very fastest full-fibre broadband free to everybody, in every home in every corner of our country.

We will close the tax loopholes used by the biggest multinational companies such as Google and Facebook that make millions from the British public, but refuse to pay their fair share.

The private internet providers are failing to deliver value for money, reliable speeds, or acceptable customer service.

By creating British Broadband, we will lead the world in using public investment to reduce people’s monthly bills, boost our economy and increase people’s quality of life.

It’s time for real change – it’s time for a Labour government.