Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Rural Vulnerability Service - brought to you by the Rural Services Network and the Rural England CIC in association with Calor.

The vulnerability service aims to disseminate information about three key rural issues: fuel poverty, broadband and rural transport.

Latest updates:

Virgin Media trials gigabit wireless for villages

1 July 2019

Virgin Media is trialling the use of wireless radio signals to help connect homes in a UK village to gigabit speeds and TV services over full fibre. (Mobile Europe)

Cross-party MPs launch rural broadband inquiry

29 May 2019

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into broadband provision in remote rural parts of the UK. (ISP Review)

RSN gives evidence on rural broadband to MPs

17 June 2019

Rural Services Netowrk chief executive Graham Biggs recently gave evidence recently to MPs investigating the issue of rural broadband. (RSN Online)

Taskforce launched to tackle rural issues in west Suffolk

27 June 2019

Broadband is among the issues to be tackled by a taskforce launched to identify and tackle key issues affecting rural communities in west Suffolk. (East Anglian Daily Times)

Report ranks UK 27th in world for mobile broadband

29 May 2019

The latest 2019 State of Mobile Network report from Opensignal has ranked the UK 27th out of 87 countries in the world for its average mobile broadband download speed. (ISP Review)

Rural ISP Airband appoints new chairman

27 June 2019

Fibre and wireless internet service provider Airband Community Internet has appointed Mark Stansfeld as its new chairman. (Business Cloud)

Cornwall housing, workspace and broadband funding agreed

20 June 2019

Cornwall Council has agreed to invest more than £40million in providing new homes, workspace and extending the superfast broadband rollout. (The Packet)

£24m broadband plan is '21st century equivalent of railways'

5 June 2019

A £24m plan to roll out ultrafast broadband to thousands of homes and businesses across the North of Tyne region could get the green light. (Chronicle Live)

More than half Essex rural residents suffer poor connection

22 May 2019

Over half of residents living in rural areas within the county said they are frustrated slow broadband according to survey results. (Epping Forest Guardian)

Wi-fi revolutionises rural pub in Yorkshire

22 May 2019

A rural Yorkshire pub says superfast broadband is revolutionising its business. (Business Daily)

Self-dig project brings superfast broadband to rural estate

31 May 2019

Farmers have dug in to help a landowner bring some of the UK's fastest broadband speeds to a rural estate near Lowestoft – winning praise from an MP. (Eastern Daily Press)

Rural businesses seek guarantees over 4G

6 June 2019

Farmers, landowners and rural service providers have called on the government to ensure plans to improve the rural 4G network coverage meet “four key tests.” (ISP Review)

Ofcom tasks BT and KCOM with rural broadband delivery

7 June 2019

Ofcom has tasked BT and KCOM with the delivery of the UK government's initiative to give consumers a lawful right to demand adequate broadband speeds. (IT Pro)

Programme for full fibre broadband in rural areas

29 May 2019

The starting gun has been fired on a programme to rollout gigabit-capable full fibre broadband to the most rural and remote locations in the UK. (Camelford Today)

Ministers under fire after broadband roll-out delayed

7 June 2019

Delays to the roll-out of superfast broadband in Scotland have prompted a chorus of criticism from opposition MSPs. (Daily Business Group)

Call for faster broadband in rural Perthshire

21 June 2019

The Scottish Government has been challenged to improve broadband speeds in rural Perthshire. (Daily Record)

Disclaimer:

Articles in this newsletter are included for information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Rural Services Network, Rural England CIC or Calor.

Reports and Publications:

For reports & publications on fuel poverty, click here

For reports & publications on rural broadband, click here

For reports & publications on rural transport, click here

National Statistics:

For UK National Statistics on fuel poverty, click here

For UK National Statistics on rural transport, click here

For UK National Statistics on rural broadband, click here

Useful links: