Whilst a recent report showed that rural areas have a greater take up of broadband than urban ones officials have stated that there are still some major problems with broadband in rural areas

A recent report showed that the take up of broadband in rural areas was not higher than it was in urban areas, which came as a surprise to many who automatically assumed that urban areas would have a higher take up of broadband. However, whilst the gap between urban and rural areas may have closed in with regards to the popularity and take up of broadband, some officials state that there are still a number of serious problems affecting those in rural areas when it comes to getting an effective broadband connection and speeds.

The figures showing that the take up of broadband in rural areas had overtaken that in urban areas recently came from the communications regulator Ofcom. However, officials from the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) claim that the regulator is not connected to reality in terms of the information that was provided on the report.

Whilst the Ofcom report detailed the figures when it came to broadband take up, the CLA stated that no mention was made about the fact that consumers in these areas have difficulties in getting anywhere near the speeds that are advertised. The CML also added that there are many businesses in rural areas that are still unable to get access to broadband because of their proximity from local telephone exchanges.
One official from the CLA said: “Suggestions that the broadband divide has closed are simply not true. The digital divide is about availability not take up. There is also a problem with existing internet access speeds which are often appallingly slow, affecting the viability of businesses.”