Up to 20 per cent of people in the rural north have inadequate broadband, says new report (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Up to 20 per cent of people in the rural north have inadequate broadband, says new report
4:58pm Monday 24th September 2012 in News
By Rachel Ryan
ABOUT 20 per cent of people living in rural areas in the North of England are unable to get the Government’s benchmark target, says a campaign group.
The Country Land and Business Association has marked 10 years of lobbying today with a a new paper on rural broadband, which calls for more action to be taken since rural residents cannot get even two Megabits per second internet speeds.
The CLA has been pushing for everyone in rural areas to benefit from an effective and affordable broadband connection and is now asking the Governemnt to step in and create a framework for broadband in the North of England.
CLA North Regional Director Dorothy Fairburn, said: “Broadband acts as an economic driver for rural businesses as well as helping the social development of rural communities.
“We have set out our first-ever rural broadband policy because we believe the Government must do more to help the countryside. By seeking to form a strategic alliance with other rural interest groups to agree common objectives, we can help to deliver a comprehensive broadband strategy.”
“It is unlikely that the Government’s objective for Britain to have the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015 will be realised.”
The policy also calls on the Government to provide an appropriate framework allowing rural communities to ‘piggy-back’ onto public sector broadband which already exists in many rural locations such as schools and libraries.
