Campaigners hope for a swifter rollout of rural broadband

RURAL campaigners are hoping for a swifter rollout of broadband in the countryside following new powers being laid down in Parliament.

The Digital Economy Act enacts a legal obligation to deliver universal broadband of at least 10 megabits per second (Mbps) by the end of 2020.

It follows a long-running campaign by the CLA to end the digital discrimination against rural homes and businesses.

CLA director Rebecca Williams said: “As Welsh farmers and rural businesses are using their online capacity to a widening range of complex management applications, we welcome the UK law laid before Parliament that should ensure that no home or business in Wales and England should be left behind in the modern economy.

“But our campaign continues because although this commitment is right for now, technology advances at such a speed that it is essential for this law to move with the times.

“While a minimum 10 Mbps download speed is adequate for now, that will change in the relatively near future. Welsh farms and rural businesses must have the online tools they need to conduct their business online.

“Fixed broadband connections are only one part of the connectivity challenge. In Wales we still have a long way to go to establish universal access to mobile data coverage that is equally important for people living and working in our countryside.”

The Universal Service Order (USO) setting out technical specifications and guidance sets the scope of the USO which Ofcom will be responsible for implementing. Ofcom will be responsible for establishing mechanisms for customers to exercise their new rights, what the maximum connection cost thresholds will be and the rules on managing the balance of demand over given timescales.