Lack of broadband sees younger people leaving rural areas

Over the past couple of years many reports have highlighted how rural areas in the UK are suffering because of lack of broadband services, and the most recent report suggest that another downside is that many younger people are leaving these areas for this reason.

There has been a lot of debate over the way in which rural areas across the UK are suffering because of a lack of broadband services over the past couple of years, and some of the problems that have been highlighted include the adverse effect on businesses and the economy in these areas, as well as lack of facilities for consumers who would otherwise be able to enjoy a range of money saving resources from the Internet.

Another recent report has said that a further problem appears to be stemming from the lack of broadband in these areas. According to the report many younger people are being forced out of rural areas in the UK simply because of the lack of broadband services in these areas. Many younger people have already had to leave rural areas due to lack of job opportunities amongst other things, and the lack of broadband access is another nail in the coffin for these areas.

Officials are concerned that with so many younger people leaving rural areas business and the economy in these areas is going to be seriously affected. The Chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities, Stuart Burgess, stated: “Wherever I go, I hear deep concerns – that challenges with housing, work, transport, training and social exclusion are preventing young people from living in the countryside. Without young people to provide a work force, rural economies are unable to fulfil their potential and rural communities can go into decline.”

He added that the lack of broadband access was hitting both businesses and younger people in these areas, and was resulting in businesses having to relocate to parts of the country where broadband access was better, and younger people heading off to pastures new.

Source – Rtt News