Countryside Agency push Broadband

ISP Review, 12 September 2003

The Countryside Agency is reported to have ramped up its campaign for bringing broadband coverage to the rural areas of the UK. The group estimates that just 7% of rural villages have hi-speed coverage.

Countryside Agency chief executive Richard Wakeford said today: "With broadband suppliers unlikely to get all the UK online, it is up to rural communities to work together with funding partners and suppliers to get themselves on to the superhighway."

The Agency reveals that only seven per cent of villages have broadband access, but the Agency believes that knowledge is power. It has launched a best-practice study to identify ways in which rural communities can help ensure they don't miss out on the economic opportunities of broadband access.

"Broadband is vital if we are to help many rural areas regenerate and survive. It allows local business access to markets and services, provides better training opportunities for local people, stimulates the growth of community organizations, and encourages young people to stay within their own communities," he said.