BBC Broadband Survey Backs-Up CLA’s Call
2009-05-28

Rural economy experts, the CLA, have been backed-up by a BBC-commissioned survey into rural broadband ‘notspots’.

The survey said that around three million homes in the UK have insufficient broadband speeds of less than two megabits per second (2Mbps).

CLA Wales Director Julian Salmon said: "This BBC survey confirms what the CLA has been saying for some time. Millions of people in rural areas of the UK have poor broadband speeds which is damaging the rural economy. This cannot be ignored, especially at this difficult economic time.

"We have had people up and down the country respond to a call we put out to come forward if you receive slow broadband or no broadband at all. This is a serious issue when fast broadband can be the make or break for a rural business."

The CLA recently teamed up with Eurosat to provide our members with a stop-gap answer to their problems. Members of the CLA can receive satellite broadband at reduced rates to ensure faster broadband.

The CLA has also called for more ‘piggy-backing’ schemes to be developed. An example being Great Asby in Cumbria where local residents can ‘piggy-back’ on the high speed, unused bandwidth of the local school.

But Julian Salmon added: "Eurosat and piggy-backing schemes are helping many households but Government cannot look at them as solutions. We are calling on Government for a Universal Service Obligation to be established, the UK cannot afford to be left behind in the economic race for fast broadband."

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