Government announces broadband plans to aid rural communities

A recent statement from the UK Government has confirmed that 100,000 businesses and homes in rural parts of the country will be further supported to obtain access to better broadband connections.

The British government is committed to making sure that rural communities enjoy access to dependable and gigabit-capable broadband connections throughout the UK. Its current target is to extend the reach of such a service to 85 per cent of premises by the year 2025 and to expand to provide reliable broadband to 100 per cent as soon as it is possible.

However, there are still a small number of premises in remote and rural parts of the country which are classed by the government as ‘Very Hard to Reach Premises’. Such areas are unlikely to directly benefit from the significant activity across the telecommunications industry to supply gigabit-capable services. Factors impacting such circumstance include low population density, isolated location, and limited telecoms infrastructure in place. All these issues make it a challenge to connect.

Consultations recently published outline plans designed to review and then update the broadband USO (Universal Service Obligation), which gives businesses and homeowners a legal right to ask for an affordable and decent connection. The plans also include development and assessment of future policies to enhance broadband connectivity for the areas deemed Very Hard to Reach Premises.

The plans to improve connectivity in rural areas were issued alongside measures to invest in brand-new technology to enhance local transport connections in the same parts of the country.