Farmers' leaders say more must be done to improve rural broadband

Farmers' leaders have urged the government to do more to improve broadband connectivity in rural areas.

In an assessment of Defra’s progress published last week, the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee said the lack of action in rolling out superfast broadband to rural areas is holding back the countryside economy.

DEFRA Committee MPs recommended the government focus on bringing broadband to 100 per cent of rural communities as a crucial measure in "reducing the productivity gap between urban and rural areas.”

In a bid to connect the most remote areas of Britain, the government has announced plans to roll out subsidised satellite broadband to make sure almost every home and business in the UK can access speeds of at least 2Mbps by the end of the year.

However, the National Farmers' Union (NFU), which also offers its own discounted satellite package for farmers, warns that those in rural areas may struggle to access the scheme as vouchers are only currently available online.

NFU Vice President Guy Smith expressed concerns that the satellite scheme may not benefit everyone: “Although we welcome the Government’s announcement to roll out subsidised satellite broadband vouchers to help some 300,000 of the most remote homes and businesses to access at least 2 Mbps of broadband connectivity, we are not convinced it will be able to meet its targets, especially given the number of people who will be excluded if they cannot meet the strict criteria."

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