News outlets including the BBC and telecommunications company Ericsson’s blog, have reported that despite the fact that improving digital connectivity in rural areas would be ‘a lifeline for isolated communities’, fast broadband is still very inaccessible in these areas

The articles argue that rural and coastal areas, particularly in the north, have missed out on much of the economic and productivity growth of recent decades.

Rural areas have not benefited from digitisation and enhanced connectivity to the same extent as urban areas, often due to the technical and economic challenges of fixed broadband deployment.

This ‘digital divide’ has had profound implications for social cohesion, economic growth and the distribution of wealth and opportunity.

5G, however, can be a key enabler of the Government’s levelling up agenda, being a practical and cost-effective alternative to fixed broadband deployment, and providing rural households with the ultrafast or gigabit connectivity needed to thrive in today’s digital economy.

The Government’s £5 billion commitment to fund gigabit-capable deployment in the hardest to reach 20 per cent of the country could therefore be an opportunity to invest in 5G.

Full articles:

BBC - Fibre broadband: The cost of delivering in rural areas

ericsson.com - Smart Rural