Ofcom's end of digital divide "beggars belief"

 

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By Simon Aughton and Barry Collins

Posted on 28 May 2008 at 14:33

Ofcom "beggars belief" by claiming that the broadband divide has disappeared, according to the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).

Ed Richards, chief executive of the UK telecoms regulator, said last week that "rural households are today as well connected to broadband as their urban neighbours", following the release of figures which showed that 59% of rural homes now have broadband, compared to 57% in towns and cities.

But CLA deputy president William Worsley says that Ofcom is presenting a distorted picture. "Suggestions that the broadband divide has closed are simply not true," Worsley claims.

"The digital divide is about availability and the fact remains that in a significant number of rural areas, ADSL broadband access is simply not available. The existing internet access speeds are often appallingly slow, hitting the viability of businesses."

As a result rural businesses cannot compete on an equal footing, he adds, and investment goes elsewhere."People who would like to develop redundant buildings into small modern business units cannot do so without broadband access, even if all the other elements are in place."

Ofcom has defended its stance. "Ofcom stated that rural households now have overtaken urban homes when it comes to broadband take-up, ending this particular geographical divide," the regulator claims in a statement sent to PC Pro.

"That is not to say that other divides will not appear in the future - differences in broadband speeds between urban and rural areas, for example. And our reports have already very clearly identified social disparities in the take up of digital communication services.

"However, it is entirely appropriate to report, with firm statistical evidence, that 59% of rural households now have broadband compared to 57% of urban households, which is a significant turnaround."