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Broadband Fit for Rural Growth: CLA Vision for Rural Broadband The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has been campaigning for effective, reliable and affordable broadband for all rural areas since 2002. In the past 10 years, the CLA has become the main national organisation to champion the issue of rural broadband, for its members as well as the wider rural economy. Download the CLA Policy report: Broadband Fit for Rural Growth: CLA Vision for Rural Broadband There is no doubt that significant progress has been made since 2002. The CLA has been instrumental in lobbying the infrastructure providers to offer a basic broadband service for all. It has taken the lead in lobbying government to provide public funds for the roll-out of a superfast broadband network as well as pushing for a Universal Service Obligation (USO) to ensure that all in rural areas have access to a minimum speed of two megabits per second (Mbps). However, the Government's strategy is not making the inroads it needs to meet its objective of ensuring that the UK has the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015. The process appears slow, cumbersome and excessively mired in red tape. In addition, there appears to be no clear direction as to how the various broadband technologies are to be deployed. Should there be a sole reliance on fibre optic or is there room for a mixture of technologies, a patchwork so to speak, which can be deployed to meet differing circumstances and different locations? There is little doubt mistakes have been made but there is still time to rectify these. The Government's announcement in relaxing some of the planning regulations relating to infrastructure build is welcome but a great deal depends on how this will be There is also the question of education. One of the major concerns remains the lack of information provision to the public as to the advantages of broadband and the necessity of effective and affordable broadband connectivity in rural areas. For broadband to take off in rural areas there must be adequate demand as well as supply. Clearly, big issues still need to be resolved. This report sets out the CLA's policy on broadband and puts forward a series of recommendations for the Government and the broadband infrastructure industry to consider and take forward. Download the CLA Policy report: Broadband Fit for Rural Growth: CLA Vision for Rural Broadband |
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