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Rural broadband solutions

Our Broadband Expert says...

You're right that the government’s austerity measures have now hit plans to get rid of the UK’s “notspots” and improve speeds across the country.

Anyone living 5km or more from their local telephone exchange would be almost unable to get any sort of broadband connection. But while plans to get everyone online - at speeds of at least 2Mb - were meant to be completed by 2012, the government has now pushed this back to 2015.

This means that people like yourself who struggle with a barely-there internet connection could have another five years to wait before they can watch YouTube, download music or simply send an email without their connection failing - things that vast swathes of the country take for granted.

While there are a number of different options available, some are very expensive, others might be less reliable and none are perfect.

Mobile broadband

If you're lucky enough to live in an area that has a 3G signal, you could use a mobile broadband dongle for your laptop or computer to get online. This is one of cheapest options for a rural broadband connection, with pay-as-you-go options and cheap contracts available from many different providers.

But before you sign up to anything, you need to check what the coverage will be like in your area. Mobile broadband signals are often patchy in rural areas so do a postcode check with each provider to make sure you're getting the best possible connection. 3 mobile broadband (www.Three.co.uk) was voted the UK’s best mobile broadband provider in YouGov’s July 2010 Dongle Tracker survey.

Unfortunately, it’s quite possible that you won’t be able to get a 3G connection where you live, if it’s very remote. But mobile broadband providers are investing in and extending their networks all the time, so it’s worth checking again every few months.

Satellite broadband

Because satellite broadband doesn’t use telephone lines or even the mobile phone network to get you online, it can deliver broadband no matter where you live.

But the major drawback to satellite broadband is the cost, which is far higher than standard fixed line broadband or a mobile broadband connection.

Speeds are also relatively slow and download allowances low.

At the moment, you could expect speeds of up to 3.6Mb from a satellite broadband connection - though new satellites that are capable of delivering speeds up to 8Mb broadband and 10Mb are due to be launched later in the year.

Download allowances range from around 2.4GB a month on the cheapest packages to 12GB - though you can expect to pay more than £100 a month for this relatively low amount of data.

Monthly subscriptions currently start at around £35 a month for a 2.4GB allowance - though this could drop to around £25 a month when the new, faster satellites are launched.

But on top of this you will have to pay very high installation charges for the equipment you need to set up your satellite broadband connection.

Satellite broadband provider Tariam charges £399, plus a £29 connection fee if you want to use a local installer, or a massive £699 if you want to use a Tariam engineer.

Tariam says that despite the high upfront costs, satellite can save you money in the long term. “The cost of the Homenet hardware for customers who use a local installer is only £399,” says the provider. “The typical working life of the hardware is, say, five years, so if you annualise the cost of the kit that comes out at £79.80 per year, about £6.65 a month.

“We would challenge any UK household of more than two people, or indeed any family, that they’d save substantially more than that £79.80 every year just by then being able to shop online for their insurances, utilities, holidays - even their weekly shopping and clothes.”

However, you do also need to consider your monthly subscription and the cost of getting a local installer to set up your hardware.

Community broadband

A number of rural communities across the country have pooled their finances to pay for their own fibre optic networks. One example is the village of Lyddington in Rutland, which raised £37,000 to bypass the BT broadband (www.BT.com) network and bring 40Mb broadband to 200 rural homes and businesses.

Of course there is a high cost involved here - not to mention the time taken to organise such a project, but some parish councils are even giving out grants to help get networks extended to rural communities.

BET broadband

BT has been trialling Broadband Enabling Technology (BET) since September 2009. BET is capable of delivering a stable broadband service over lines that are up to 12km away from the exchange - more than double the current 5km limit for broadband.

The first trials in Inverness and Dingwall, Scotland, delivered a stable 1Mb connection between 7km and 12km, while a second “bonded” line could double this to 2Mb.

Unlike many other options, BET uses a dedicated copper line for each property - so you wouldn’t have to share capacity - resulting in a faster, more stable connection.

Addition pilots were launched at the end of September in the following areas:

• Twyford, Berkshire, south east England
• Badsey, Worcestershire, West Midlands
• Llanfyllin Powys, Wales
• Leyland, Lancashire, north west England
• Ponteland, Northumberland, north east England
• Wigton, Cumbria, north west England
• Horsham, West Sussex, east England
• Wymondham, Norfolk, east of England

If you don’t live in one of these areas it might be worth getting in touch with BT Wholesale to find out if BET could be extended to your area.

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If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at OurExpert@broadbandchoices.co.uk

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