Wide-scale broadband disparities in Wales are allegedly harming businesses, according to elected representatives.
Broadband Gap in Wales Widens, Raising Concerns
The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has highlighted a concerning trend in its 2012 Communication Report for Wales: the gap in broadband availability between Wales and the wider UK has been widening.
In 2011, 71% of Welsh homes had broadband compared to 74% of UK homes. The following year, this gap widened to 8%, with 74% of UK homes having broadband versus 68% of Welsh homes.
This trend is particularly concerning when considering that 16% of premises in Wales are located further than 5 km from an exchange, compared to the UK average of 13%. This increased distance contributes to the incidence of notspots and slowspots.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has stated that rural businesses in Wales are significantly affected by a lack of broadband access. Monmouth MP David Davies, the chair of the Commons Welsh Affairs Select Committee, has also emphasized this issue, stating that there are still areas in Wales where people have no broadband connection.
The Commons Welsh Affairs Select Committee has reported that slow spots and notspots in broadband service are hindering businesses in Wales and deterring new ones from locating there. The delayed 4G spectrum auction, planned for 2013, should ensure that 4G services are available to at least 98% of people in Wales, the report suggests.
The UK government's digitalisation of administration, such as the single farm payment and the whole-farm approach, exacerbates the issue for rural businesses in Wales. The UK government's pledge to provide the UK with "the best broadband in Europe" by providing access to fibre-optic broadband for 90% of the UK by 2015 is not yet meeting the needs of many in Wales.
In response, the Welsh Government aims to provide all Welsh businesses with access to next-generation broadband by the middle of 2016. Both the UK and Welsh governments are urged to collaborate to improve broadband services in Wales to be on par with the rest of the UK.
The report also suggests promoting mobile and satellite technologies, particularly in remote areas of Wales, instead of relying on fibre-optic cabling. The efforts should be made to eradicate slow spots and notspots in broadband service in Wales, the report concludes.
Davies also emphasizes the need for Wales to receive funding and political leadership to ensure broadband provision is at least on par with the rest of the UK. The organization that found in its 2012 report on communication in Wales that 16% of connection points in Wales are more than 5 kilometers away from an exchange site, increasing the frequency of notspots and slowspots, is not identified in the provided search results.
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