CLA reiterates need for decent broadband for rural businesses

A spokesperson for the Country Land and Business Association has reiterated the importance of having decent broadband in rural areas to allow businesses to compete.

The topic of getting decent broadband speeds and access into rural areas within the UK has been a hit one for some years, with a number of industry groups and officials speaking out on a regular basis about the importance of having decent broadband in these areas. Many people who live and work in these areas are said to be missing out in a number of ways because they have little or no access to decent broadband.

A spokesperson for the Country Land and Business Association has recently reiterated the importance of having decent broadband in rural areas not only for residents to benefit from but also to allow businesses in these areas to compete effectively with their urban counterparts and even with international rivals. With more and more services going online it has become important for rural firms to be able to offer the same convenience and ease to consumers as urban companies do as well as being important for rural companies to have the facilities to market themselves more effectively.

Dr Charles Trotman, head of rural business development for the CLA said: “In order to be able to compete and compete effectively you need the most up to date telecommunications possible broadband clearly is that up to date telecommunications provision. If you don’t have broadband you are unlikely to be able to compete with major competitors in urban areas.”

This comes after recent research showed that people in rural areas were prepared to pay more for access to high speed broadband in order to try and achieve the same speeds that those in urban areas were receiving.

Source – Women in Technology