Dorothy Fairburn: We must bridge this rural digital divide

In densely populated urban areas around Yorkshire, millions of pounds are being invested in Next Generation Access. Miles of super-fast fibre optic connections are laying the groundwork for a new era of life-changing technology, the likes of which we have only glimpsed with current broadband.

Video-conferencing, remote medical diagnosis, television on demand and social networking at a highly sophisticated level are all potential benefits that will – in theory at least – save time, save lives and perhaps even save the planet.

But before we get too carried away with this Utopian view of cyber supremacy, let's not forget that a basic broadband connection is still not available to everyone in Yorkshire and most of these "not spots" are in rural areas.

Alternatives to broadband from the telephone exchange (ADSL) are not only few and far between but also several times more expensive and less reliable.

This has created a digital divide, which is being made wider by the few enjoying connection speeds of 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) and more, while many others have to be content with around 2 Mbps. This speed may be okay for now but it will be a different story tomorrow.

One of the few pieces of good news for the rural economy to emerge from the recent Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) is that North Yorkshire will be among four regions to trial superfast broadband as part of a new 530m publicly funded scheme.

With 20 per cent of the population – equating to some 11,000 businesses in Yorkshire – unable to access a basic 2 Mbps connection, the CLA has long argued that a significant amount of public sector money should be provided to roll-out superfast broadband in the countryside. This is because people in rural areas suffer most, yet they are the ones who

can benefit most because of poor transport and the sheer distances between homes, schools and shops.

You don't have to look hard to see the pressure is on to use the

internet. Businesses are being pushed to file tax returns online, forcing some to relocate in order to access broadband.

Estate agents cannot sell houses that do not have ADSL and homes and offices can not be let in rural broadband not-spots. School children have to use the internet for schoolwork and homework.

If there is no access at home your son or daughter will have to stay at school, or travel to their nearest library or community centre. This is social exclusion at its worst.

So organisations like the CLA will continue to press for solutions, and those solutions require a partnership of Government funding and private enterprise. The signs are encouraging. In addition to the new rural broadband trial announced in the CSR, broadband minister Ed Vaizey has said he will encourage the private sector to piggy-back on existing public broadband networks, such as schools – a move we first suggested in 2003.

But what else can we do to help the people struggling on dial-up? Most people with broadband forget what life used to be like and believe that everyone has a fast internet connection. No longer do they have to worry about including a large photograph in an email, or using a Flash movie for their home page. Unsurprisingly, the worst culprits are large organisations and Government departments.

All this does is shift the problem to the unwitting recipient. We are now tying up our computers and phone lines trying to download information we probably don't need anyway. But electricity is still being used and our frustration grows as we wait for a file to download.

Problems caused to people who live and work in rural areas by poor internet connections are now being exacerbated by inconsiderate, over-sized emails and complex over-designed websites.

The CLA believes these people should sign up to a simple charter which would help cut the amount of wasted time as well as free up much needed bandwidth. We want to encourage the fortunate ones to think before they communicate.

Rural business owners want to be able to access the information they need quickly and easily but it is often buried in a mass of irrelevant matter, such as pointless graphics, huge logos and poorly scanned signatures.

The Interactive Media in Retail Group says that websites should be designed for the lowest common denominator and in our case that is those on dial up. This is why our campaign to cut cyber congestion also makes good commercial sense.

The CLA is issuing a call to action for chairmen, chief executives and director generals across Yorkshire – hold your IT managers to account, and get them to commit to the CLA internet charter until the day when we can all enjoy equal access.

Dorothy Fairburn is Yorkshire regional director of the Country Land and Business Association.