Ofcom calls for faster broadband for SMEs
Small businesses in the UK are in the digital slow lane, according to an Ofcom report.
The organisation’s Infrastructure Report 2014, which reviewed the last 12 months, says that just over half (56 per cent) of UK SMEs have access to superfast broadband, compared to 75 per cent of all UK consumers. In Scotland and Wales this problems worsens, with only 40 per cent of SMEs having access to high speed internet.
Despite stating that the overall availability and quality of broadband services is "getting better" in Britain, the regulator is now calling on the government and broadband suppliers to target ‘not-spots’ – areas in need of faster speeds.
"While this is technically complex and expensive, it is important that these remaining homes and businesses are not left behind," Ofcom said.
In the Infrastructure Report Ofcom also backed the FSB's call for broadband providers to service SMEs better by focusing more on improving upload speeds. This is seen as an important but often ignored aspect of broadband services, which is needed to support the sending of large files more quickly.
The organisation has stressed that these changes do not simply need to take place in rural areas – where most people assume the problem lies – but in urban centres too, including major cities. The likes of Manchester and London are both reported to have black spots where there is little to no superfast broadband coverage.
Ofcom explained: "City not-spots are generally caused when there is no street cabinet to upgrade, because a customer has a direct connection to the local telephone exchange.”
On the issue of providing SMEs with high speed internet, the report stated: "Looking further ahead, industry and policy makers are considering what networks are needed to support speeds of 1Gb, commonly referred to as ultra-fast broadband."
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