Undependable WI-FI frustrates rural business owners

A recent report by the BBC highlighted the issue of poor internet connectivity for firms operating in the UK countryside.

Statistics show that the number of complaints to a key internet service provider (ISP) serving remote parts of Powys and Shropshire is now in the hundreds. An unreliable signal is cited by many as the main issue with internet connectivity dropping out.

Owners of an environmental business, Sylvia and Charles Ruxton, spoke out on the problem, stating that poor broadband service is currently hampering the success of their business. Operating from their home in the Shrewsbury town of Rowley, the couple say they lose their internet connection easily around five time every day.

Mr Ruxton explained:

“I’ve wasted hours of time repeating bank transactions or data work for the business. It also interrupts phone calls, Zoom calls and Teams calls. It can be very frustrating.”

He added that the alternatives were either more inefficient or exceptionally expensive, such as using outdated copper phone wires for slow internet or mobile phones that experience poor signal in the area – or paying for Starlink satellite, which, while dependable, costs approximately £75 a month after initial installation costs.

In April 2024, a local ISP was awarded a £12 million Project Gigabit contract funded by the Government to supply fast, dependable broadband to about 6,000 eligible properties in the region. However, recent reports indicate that many parts of Shropshire are still struggling with inadequate service that negatively impacts enterprises.