CLA criticizes Ofcom’s Communication Market Report

William Worsley, Deputy President of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has disagreed with Ofcom’s review of status of broadband uptake in the UK that includes rural and urban areas. The latest Nations & Regions Communications Market Report 2008 has indicated that rural areas in the UK have better broadband access than urban areas. The report says that 59 percent of households in rural areas have broadband connections as against 57 % of broadband penetration in urban areas.

CLA says that Ofcom’s report fails to reveal the real facts such as low connection speeds, inferior service, unavailability of business broadband services which are so commonplace in rural areas while broadband services in cities offer higher speeds, reliable connection and better service.

William Worsley of CLA has commented:

“Suggestions that the broadband divide has closed are simply not true. 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.

Small rural businesses are really suffering because of this broadband divide. We are receiving an increasing number of calls from rural businesses asking for help because they cannot compete on an equal footing with often close neighbours who benefit from a cheap and reliable ADSL service.”

Find broadband bundles, broadband comparison deals and compare broadband offers.