Simon Fell MP will help rural businesses benefit from greater digital connectivity in his role as the UK’s first Rural Connectivity Champion.
The position was promised in the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy earlier this year and follows the publication of the government’s Rural Statement.
Fell’s appointment will see him convene the telecoms sector and rural businesses to spur digital adoption in sectors such as agriculture.
He said: “connectivity is holding back too many rural communities and businesses, as my own farmers and businesses in Barrow and Furness will attest.
“If we hope to unlock growth, and to ensure that our rural communities are sustainable, then the government has got to work hand in glove with local government and the private sector to deliver better connectivity.”