Access to superfast broadband in Fermanagh and Omagh has been slammed as "disgraceful" after the area was deemed the least digitally connected area of the UK.
The survey by marketing company N.Rich found one in eight people in the area have not used the internet at all in the past three months – if ever.
And nearly a third of households in the area have zero access to superfast broadband – the highest proportion of people with no access in the UK.
Mid Ulster also ranked poorly when it came to the survey, with 22% of premises without superfast broadband and almost 17% of people had not used the internet in the previous three months.
Erne West SDLP councillor Adam Gannon, who was recently selected as the party’s Fermanagh and South Tyrone candidate for next year’s Assembly election, said the figures were damning.
Cllr Gannon added: “No one in Fermanagh will be surprised that we have the worst digital connections in the North or Britain. The only surprise is that it has taken so long for someone to do something about it.
“That nearly a third of people in this area cannot access superfast broadband is disgraceful and it’s damning that Fermanagh and Omagh has been deemed the worst area for digital access in the whole of the UK.
“As a teacher I know how important online access is to our young people.
“It has become an important learning tool, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic when pupils were asked to learn remotely and it’s also used extensively by young people both recreationally and to socialise."
The local councillor has called on Economy Minister Gordon Lyons to address the lack of connectivity in the area.
Cllr Gannon said: “I have written to Minister Lyons asking him to urgently address the problems that leave Fermanagh and Omagh in last place when it comes to connectivity.
“Our local people must enjoy the same online access as people in the rest of the North and beyond.”
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