XLN Business Community » Rural

Rural business broadband users will suffer

Alice — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:37:00 +0000

Businesses broadband users in rural Britain may not be able to take advantage of new communications technology such as VoIP telephony, due to slow broadband speeds, it has been claimed.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has warned that around one in four rural enterprises could be significantly hindered by the ongoing failure to bring high-speed broadband connections to the countryside.

This will leave businesses unable to take advantage of telecommunications systems such as voice over IP, which allows users to benefit from a global market, and reduces overheads by allowing staff to work from home.

It is feared that despite plans to roll out high-speed internet across the country by 2012, the ‘digital divide’ will only get bigger, with urban businesses able to enjoy faster download speeds and more efficient telecoms solutions, the CLA told the Telegraph.

EU to fund rural broadband

Alice — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:33:00 +0000

The European Union (EU) has announced a major new funding injection to boost broadband in rural parts of the UK.

A fund of €5 billion (£4.462 billion) has been agreed upon to help stimulate the EU economy, of which €1.02 billion has will go towards developing better broadband internet connections, particularly in rural and remote areas.

UK European minister Caroline Flint said this initiative is proof of how the EU can “complement the work of national governments”, as well as “help people through the downturn” and also “put the European economy back on a path to growth”.

She added: “The fact that this injection of cash is targeted on renewable energy and broadband will ensure that we make the European recovery a green and high-tech recovery.”

Concerns for rural areas over high-speed broadband

Alice — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:12:06 +0000

The excessive cost of building a high-speed broadband network in the UK may mean some rural areas will miss out, it has been claimed.

The Digital Britain report, recently released by Communications minister Lord Carter, pledged to provide broadband of a minimum speed of 2Mbps to all UK households by 2012.

However, the minister has expressed concerns that some rural parts of Britain may end up being excluded from the vital communications and media service.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Lord Carter admitted there could be 25 to 30 per cent of the country “where there will be no economic case for building a next generation fixed network”.

However, he added that freeing up the wireless radio spectrum for the greater provision of Mobile Broadband, alongside satellite networks, could play a role in reaching remote areas.