Many workers may leave the Midlands when universal broadband is available

A recent survey has found that if universal broadband is made available by 2015 many resident in the midlands would leave the area as soon as they get the chance, which could leave to region almost empty.

The survey found that a significant proportion of the UK population would flock to areas like the South West, London, Scotland and Wales while as many as 73 percent of resident in the Midlands would leave the region.

Office workers throughout the UK were asked whether they would move to another part of the country if universal broadband was made available by 2015 according to the outlines proposed in the Digital Britain report released recently by the Government, in the survey by Orange, the mobile network operator.

The survey found that if universal high-speed broadband was available everywhere 70 percent of the East Midlands and 81 percent of the West Midlands would move to either the countryside or the coastal parts of Britain, according to Orange.

It was also suggested by the survey that the South West would see a population increase of 158 percent, whilst the numbers living in the North East and Yorkshire would be reduced by 35 percent.

Scotland would see a rise of 58 percent and only 20 percent of residents said they would stay in areas like Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

Wales would also see a 5 percent increase in its population and London would see the largest jump in population with 40 percent more people living in the City.

Both working and social dynamics throughout the country would be radically altered by the digital revolution according to the director of corporate marketing at Orange UK, Robert Ainger.

He said “The long-entrenched domination of the South East in Britain’s economic structure could at last be coming to a close, with many workers wanted to trade their city lives to work from more rural and idyllic parts of the country. Our report reveals that a digitally connected country could change the face of Britain as we know it.”

Source – Independent