Rural charity says broadband digital divide still in place
Rural charity says broadband digital divide still in place
The UK’s digital divide is continuing to hamper people living and working in the countryside, according to a rural charity.
Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) found that broadband choices and speeds in country areas are still lagging well behind those found in urban areas.
ACRE, which is the umbrella body for 38 rural community councils, said that its research shows people are still being ‘penalised’ for living in the country despite Government promises to reduce the digital divide.
The Government’s broadband roll-out programme BDUK promised an additional £20 million back in 2011 to help connect more isolated areas to faster broadband speeds. This year, it made £10 million available for new technologies that can help bring broadband to the five per cent of the UK that is not included in Government targets for connection by 2017. Such technologies are likely to include satellite broadband, fibre to the home and 4G.
But ACRE is concerned that rural areas will still be playing catch-up to the larger urban areas.
ACRE policy officer Paul Dixon told Cable.co.uk: “Hopefully this will change if the government achieves 95 per cent coverage by 2017, but small villages and towns will still be left behind superfast cities. Those places may be on 100Mb connections by 2020, but where will the rural areas be?”
The Government said that the needs of the rural community were not being overlooked. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which is responsible for the nationwide roll-out, said that more than half a million homes and businesses in the countryside had been connected which would otherwise not have had access. A spokesman said that more than 20,000 properties are now being connected weekly.
hSo provides managed networks designed for business. To get an instant cost for a leased line at your location, visit our online leased line price checker.
