Action 'needed' on rural broadband, says industry

Business leaders have called for regulation to improve broadband access to firms in rural areas to ensure they do not fall behind the competition.

Demand for broadband across the UK must be met to keep the economy growing, according to the Confederation of British Industry.

Broadband connections allow firms to take advantage of the web for marketing and sales purposes, as well as giving them access to technologies such as VoIP which can save them money and improve efficiency.

"For the sake of our gross domestic product, Ofcom needs to get off the fence and take a positive lead in encouraging investment in broadband networks nationwide," said David Harrington, head of regulatory affairs at the Communications Management Association, in a comment to ComputerWeekly.com.

"Unless enterprises across the UK have access to equal speeds, the UK will be unable to compete for future inward investment."

This follows suggestions by Stephen Timms, the government's competitiveness ministers, that the feasibility of nationwide rollout of faster fibre optic broadband lines is being examined.

Posted on: 2007-12-19, in: Broadband

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