BETTER broadband is top of the rural agenda for 2014, with campaigners saying too many communities are still languishing on slow connections.

The government says delivery of so-called superfast broadband is accelerating. But campaigners warn that rural areas are missing out compared to towns and cities.

Many rural communities continue to suffer from inadequate broadband speeds, said John Strawson, chairman of Nottinghamshire Country Land and Business Association (CLA).

"We need better broadband for all in Nottinghamshire," said Mr Strawson. "Rural businesses across the county are being put at a competitive disadvantage by the slow internet speeds available.

"Broadband is as vital as water, electricity and gas and should be looked on as the fourth utility, and more progress needs to be made in order for rural businesses in Nottinghamshire to flourish.

Despite significant funding, the CLA believes that many rural areas will still be left without workable broadband after 2015.

The organisation said it would continue to lobby the government for better connectivity, particularly in countryside communities which risk being left behind.

In Cornwall, some rural residents have launched a petition, fearing a long wait for fibre-optic broadband because their area is deemed commercially unviable.

At the other end of the country, farmers in County Durham are worried about a government initiative that mean they must increasingly fill out forms online, rather than on paper.

It was wrong to force a "digital by default" strategy on rural farmers who had little or no internet access, said Diane Spark, of the Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services (Utass).

Less than a third of the charity's 476 farm business members had broadband access, she said.

The government said it was well on track with its commitment to deliver "superfast" broadband connections of at least 2Mbps to 95% of the UK by 2017.

The national rollout of faster broadband was accelerating, with many projects already ahead of schedule, said the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Some 10,000 premises per week were already gaining access to superfast broadband, it said.

This would increase to 25,000 per week in spring 2014, ramping up to 40,000 per week by summer 2014.

Progress being made built on the commercial roll out by the private sector, with Ofcom figures showing thatsome 73% of UK premises could connect to superfast broadband in June 2013.