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Business calls for action on rural broadband
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Improvements in the broadband provision to rural areas must be rolled out if industry is to remain competitive, business leaders have warned. Calling for action from the telecoms regulator Ofcom, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said that the demand for broadband across the UK should be met. Firms are increasingly making use of broadband to use homeworkers who connect to offices wirelessly, allowing for greater flexibility of the workforce and increased productivity. However, these services are lacking in rural areas and could be holding back firms. This view was shared by David Harrington, head of regulatory affairs at the Communications Management Association, who told ComputerWeekly.com: "For the sake of our gross domestic product, Ofcom needs to get off the fence and take a positive lead in encouraging investment in broadband networks nationwide. "Unless enterprises across the UK have access to equal speeds, the UK will be unable to compete for future inward investment." Competitiveness minister Stephen Timms has previously stated that the expansion of super-fast fibre optic broadband could potentially bring many benefits to Britain's industry. But business users in rural areas remain especially concerned over the low speeds they are receiving at the moment – especially when it does not come close to the speed advertised by the provider.  |