The UK government looks likely to come under increasing pressure to offer better business phone and broadband services to rural areas.

A new pressure group has been formed to persuade the government to make sure that it delivers on its promise to make high-speed business broadband services available universally by 2017.

Included in the group Final Third First is a number of broadband service providers. They have joined rural lobby groups to press for high-speed broadband to be made available to the ‘final third’ of the UK – the most remote areas which require the highest levels of investment to achieve the objective.

Launching the campaign on the Final Third First blog, Country Land and Business Association Head of Rural Business Development Dr Charles Trotman said: “The government’s universal service commitment to provide broadband speeds of two megabits per second (Mbps) for all by 2012 will be hard to achieve.
 
 ”Those living in areas known as the Final Third still receive no proper access to broadband, putting them at a severe disadvantage. This campaign calls for faster action on the progress already made so that everyone can benefit from the Government’s increasing array of online services.”

Of course, this includes many businesses which would welcome the opportunity to access better quality broadband connections, as it would help make their dealings with Government at all levels, and hence the running of their affairs, that much easier.

There are mixed views on whether the priority should be the achievement of super high-speed broadband connectivity of up to 100Mb, or ensuring that a minimum standard of 2Mb is available universally.

Lloyd Fenton, founder of a self-help online portal for rural businesses, www.ruralbroadband.com, nevertheless says that the ‘Final Third First’ campaign would “add significant weight to efforts to connect rural communities, many of which rightly claim to be more in need of better broadband than their urban counterparts”.

Glenn Peacey, of Hampshire County Council, said: “Rural broadband is a key part of ensuring the long term economic and social viability of rural communities.  Access to the internet enables rural communities to compete on an equal footing with urban centres. It enables smarter working from home which reduces dormitory villages, increases spending in local shops and reduces CO2 emissions and road congestion. 
 
“High speed broadband also has a significant impact on social sustainability. Not only does it enable residents to access leisure and media services which they would otherwise be excluded from or have to travel to consume, it also facilitates access to online education and learning resources.”