Two Speed Britain: Rural Internet Use (7th September 2015)

Description

Young people will continue to move away from the countryside unless poor internet connections are improved.

A study by the University of Aberdeen in conjunction with the University of Oxford shows that slow internet speeds are driving young people away from where they grew up in rural communities.

The report said that more than one million people in Britain are excluded or face challanges when engaging in normal online activities because they live in remote rural areas not linked up with adequate internet connection.

Professor John Farrington of the Univesity of Aberdeen, said "This report clearly demonstrates there is a growing social and economic gap between those who are connected and those who are not, the 'digitally excluded'.  This broadband speed gap between urban and especially deepp rural areas is widening and it will begin to narrow as superfast reaches more rural areas but better-connected, mostly urban, areas will also increase speeds at a high rate."