Faster broadband services can ‘boost tourism’

Internet access has become more and more of a need rather than as a luxury these days. This is mainly because it is becoming more useful in business and in communications. It is no longer something that is used solely for entertainment or for informational purposes only. That much has been made clear when reports were made that broadband notspots were affecting tourism in rural Wales.

One reason for this is because most people nowadays still want to be kept in the loop even when they’re on holiday. And the only way to do that when you’re out of the office is to connect with your people over the Internet.

Last year, Prime Minister David Cameron said that the UK tourism industry could benefit from high speed broadband, stating that residents and business establishments would be able to gain access to a far greater number of applications and services as a result of having better broadband speeds.

This was echoed by Brian McCrow, a campaigner who was able to bring superfast broadband to Innerleithen through the BT Race to Infinity competition. This was organised to decide which communities would get to have their online connections and networks upgraded.

He said: “It’s going to be good for our tourism, which is fishing, golfing and biking, especially mountain biking as we hold large competitions in the surrounding high areas. The new network will allow us to promote the area and events and encourage people to come to us. It’s all about fast communication now and we can now provide that so people can use their fancy phones and iPads while still enjoying the scenery and remote cycling tracks and things.”

Innerleithen will be equipped with the “best connected place in Scotland” once the upgrades are done. BT will be rolling out Fibre-to-the-Cabinet and Fibre-to-the-Premises technology in the area.

James McClafferty, BT Scotland partnerships director, said: “Having bandwidth has been a challenge in rural communities, and I think they worry there is a chance they might fall behind big metropolitan areas and cities, but I suppose Innerleithen has bucked that trend.”

McCrow, 68, a retired IT manager, led the campaign in the town by having the local community sign a petition. He added: ”

“It will lead to us growing jobs, which is a big thing because there have been some closures affecting employment. Another thing it will be good for is home working. I’m looking out the window just now and there is two or three inches of snow. Many people who live in Innerleithen commute to the central belt, but that can be difficult when the weather is bad. A high-speed internet connection gives more people the opportunity to work from home. That can benefit the green economy and give a better quality of life, with people spending more time at home with family.”

Source – UKAP