Broadband in rural areas is still not up to scratch

ENGLAND, UK: Nearly 50 percent of people experience problems with their Internet at least once a day, new research has revealed.

The figure paints a worrying picture of the UK's rural broadband provision. In total, the Government has already invested £530 million in to fibre broadband and former Culture Secretary Maria Miller has been reported as wanting the UK's Internet to be among the best in the world.

According to the research which asked 142 people about their broadband the most common problems include slow Internet and a dropped connection, with 64.7 percent reporting the former and 17.61 percent reporting the latter. The survey was issued by Mole Valley Farmers, in conjunction with Europasat, and sent to customers of the organisation which mostly serves farmers and rural dwellers.

A total of 44.37 percent of respondents had trouble with their Internet at least once a day - and more than half of those (26.76 percent) stated problems occurred several times a day. Speed also continues to be a problem with 23.94 percent receiving advertised speeds of 2Mbps or less. The Government target is 24Mbps.

"Put simply, those in rural locations must not be left behind. The government's promise of superfast broadband for everyone needs to be delivered" said Andy Skarzynski, head of Ecommerce at Mole Valley Farmers. "We hear anecdotally from our customers, many of whom live in rural areas, how poor Internet connections delay day-to-day business and this survey shows how widespread the problem is.

"With Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) confirming all Common Agricultural Policy will be delivered through an entirely new single online application system by 2015, the Government needs to make rural locations a priority when it comes to superfast broadband."

The importance of the Internet was also highlighted by the research. Around a fifth (21.13 percent) of people stated their job would not be possible without a connection, while 31.69 percent said the Internet was extremely important for their job. A massive 84.51 percent of respondents go online several times a day.