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Claims of a closing
divide are disputed
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Rural broadband claims ‘beggar belief’
Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
Ofcom’s claim that the divide between rural and urban broadband has disappeared is “simply not true” according to Country Land and Business Association (CLA) (30-05-08).
When the regulator published a report last week stating that rural broadband uptake had overtaken towns and cities for the first time, Ed Richards, Ofcom chief executive, said: “Rural households are today as well connected to broadband, as their urban neighbours.”
The report, covered in last Friday’s news, showed that 59 per cent of rural homes are now connected to the internet via broadband, compared to 57 per cent of those in urban areas.
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"Everything is not rosy with broadband in the countryside"
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However, William Worsley, CLA deputy president, said that Ofcom was presenting a distorted picture of a closing digital divide. “Suggestions that the broadband divide has closed are simply not true, small rural businesses are really suffering because of this,” he said.
“The digital divide is about availability and the fact remains that in a significant number of rural areas, ADSL broadband access is simply not available. The existing internet access speeds are often appallingly slow, hitting the viability of businesses.
“We are worried that anyone reading coverage of the Ofcom report will get a distorted view of the true picture. Everything is not rosy with broadband in the countryside, despite Ofcom's wanton optimism,” he concluded.
Despite this, Ofcom defended its claims, saying the report was “entirely appropriate” and backed up with “firm statistical evidence”.
A spokesman said: “Ofcom stated that rural households now have overtaken urban homes when it comes to broadband take-up, ending this particular geographical divide.
“That is not to say that other divides will not appear in the future - differences in broadband speeds between urban and rural areas, for example. And our reports have already very clearly identified social disparities in the take up of digital communication services.”
Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “There are still many obstacles to overcome in closing the UK’s digital divides. As well as the disparity between the quality - and in some cases price - of rural broadband against city connections, there remain some 17 million people in the UK without access to the internet at either at home or at work.
“Broadband providers, Ofcom and the Government must all work together to try to close these gaps,” he concluded.
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