Row brewing over lack of rural superfast broadband

Remote communities could miss out on high-speed broadband

MPs representing more remote parts of the UK have reacted furiously to a warning from communications minister Lord Carter that large parts of rural Britain may miss out on the spread of superfast broadband.

Carter predicted that building the network required would prove too expensive across 25 to 30 per cent of the UK and there would be no economic case for the universal provision of a next-generation network.

The government is considering what further state intervention is required to ensure universal broadband provision at 2Mbit/s by 2012, which Lord Carter recommended in his draft Digital Britain report earlier this year.

His warning that industry would be unlikely to fund universal superfast provision would mean rural businesses would lack access to the benefits of higher speeds and increase the disadvantages faced by remote communities, as well as denying individuals access to services such as on-demand television.

Highland Liberal Democrat MP Danny Alexander, representing Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, said: "It would be truly outrageous if it were to become government policy to deny the benefits of superfast broadband to rural Britain."

Business secretary Lord Mandelson has hinted the government could help to fund 2Mbit/s connections for 12.5 million homes outside the scope of BT and Virgin Media’s existing high-speed broadband plans.

Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, president of rural economy body the Country Land and Business Association said: "This digital urban/rural divide is getting out of control. It is time for the hyperbole to stop and for government to consider the damage it is doing to rural areas and, in particular, businesses.”