'A rural Digital Britain will be tough'

Monday, March 08, 2010

A report from government has revealed that almost two-thirds of rural communities will still need to take action to deliver next-generation broadband access.

Whilst urban areas appear likely to have next-generation access (NGA) rolled out fairly widely over the next 5-10 years, the government has identified rural areas as tougher to deliver.

"The comparison of the risk results for urban and rural spatial units, shows that 87 per cent of the rural spatial units (representing 17 per cent of UK households) are classified as red – a high priority for mitigating action – in 2012. Sixty five per cent will remain in this classification in 2015," the report said.

The Next Generation Fund, which was proposed in the Digital Britain report, could improve NGA in 2017 from around 70 per cent to 90 per cent, the report predicted. This intervention could reduce the number of communities needing to take some form of action to 31 per cent instead of 43 per cent without intervention.

But the report has also warned that both rural and urban areas that are considered deprived will be "left behind in the initial waves of market-led NGA investments".

Yet it said these risks are "not unmanageable" and successful action to ensure deprived areas are not left out is "entirely achievable".

Digital exclusion has also been identified as a growing problem, as those that can use technology and those that cannot grow further apart.

"The reality of market-led roll-out is that a significant percentage of households will be unable to access the internet-based digital services that NGA makes possible – some only temporarily, but others for a number of years to come. When this digital disadvantage for individuals and communities is combined with other disadvantages, for example economic, educational, social or geographic, they can reinforce each other," the report said.

"Conversely, the creative use of technology can help to tackle social and geographical isolation, build the independence and life skills of the vulnerable and deliver important support services to those who need them most."

It added: "Delayed roll-out of NGA not only represents a risk of reinforcing social divides, but is a missed opportunity for service providers to deliver services more effectively, efficiently and fairly."