People Web International

Superfast means 24Mbits/sec+.  Here is a 2.4Mbits/sec test result from the writer’s house only 3km from a major city.
(Speed test made at www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk )

The website shows a speed of 1Mb/s or lower in remote rural areas.

UN Millennium Development Goals for access to communications technology had its practical impact recently in a Wiltshire survey launched to ask citizens for their preferences on superfast [24Mbits/sec+] broadband.  The survey asks respondents to measure their speed, and give their views on the priorities for development. 

Should business or residences have priority or both? Should more remote rural areas be targeted to prevent social isolation?  These and more questions need to be answered so that £16m being committed by Wiltshire Council is used to best effect.  The County also hopes to obtain grants and funds from the telcommunications industry to make the investment £30m in total and bring superfast broadband to 85% of premises in Wiltshire by 2015.

According to the UK government, rural places make up 86% of England and 1/5th of the population lives and work there.  However few have access to superfast broadband.  Ofcom, the UK's telecommunication regulator, reported at the end of 2010 that "only 0.2% of UK households had a superfast broadband connection at the end of 2009, compared to 34% in Japan, 12% in Sweden and 7% in the US."

With fours years to go to meet the UN target, the EU is also helping fund a much bigger £130m pilot project in Cornwall.  Along with parts of Wales, Cornwall is designated as a deprived rural area in EU terms.  Cornwall’s objective is to bring "FTTP" (fibre to premises) technology to 85% of premises by 2014. 

Lower cost schemes bring only "FTTC" (fibre to cabinet), leaving final distribution to houses and business premises relying on existing phone lines.

More and more commercial and government services are being delivered across the internet.  Whilst it has been an advantage to be connected in the past, a Wiltshire official said, "now it becomes a disadvantage not to be connected". 

The degree of success will depend on how much funding can be attracted, and persuading people who have never used a computer or the internet to get connected.  To achieve that, the survey also asks the public to sign up to volunteer their help. 

Ref: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/digitalinclusion

 KT – 28th April 2011