Abstract
The Digital Economy has opened up new opportunities for societal wellbeing across many domains of life. However, the market dependency of the landscape of connection has resulted in communities which have inadequate broadband infrastructure and are off the digital map. This form of digital exclusion is most notable in remote, rural areas. In this paper we draw upon the Rural Public Access WiFi Service research study that is focused upon enabling Internet connectivity for commercially ‘hard to reach’ rural areas in the UK. Enabling broadband connectivity to those who were previously unable to access the Internet demonstrates benefits, which translate into the positive role that improved digital connectivity can have on the wellbeing of individuals and remote rural communities at large.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Proceedings of the XXVI European Society for Rural Sociology Congress |
Publisher | European Society for Rural Sociology |
Pages | 203-204 |
Number of pages | 2 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-0-902701-14-4 |
Publication status | Published - Aug 2015 |
Keywords
- rural
- digital exclusion
- broadband infrastructure