Access to Services
04 Dec 2016
Rural communities get fibre broadband
RURAL villages in South Gloucestershire are being given access to fibre broadband following more investment. The fibre to the premises (FTTP) scheme covers villages from Elberton to Littleton-Upon-Severn after South...
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01 Dec 2016
Is Ofcom ruling good for rural broadband?
BT has been ordered to separate from its network provider Openreach – in a move aimed at improving broadband and phone services. The split was ordered by Ofcom, the government’s...
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28 Nov 2016
Police urge rural residents to report crime
POLICE are urging rural residents to ‘Call it in’ and help target crime in the countryside. North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce said local communities were their ‘eyes and ears’– allowing officers...
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25 Nov 2016
Rural areas ‘left behind on broadband’
THE government is doing too little to improve rural internet speeds, say community and business leaders. The warning follows the government’s Autumn Statement, which included £1 billion to invest in...
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17 Nov 2016
Consultation launched on Post Office services
RURAL stakeholders are being urged to respond to a consultation on Post Office services and accessibility. Launched by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the consultation aims to...
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14 Nov 2016
Bus cuts leave communities isolated
RURAL communities are being left isolated because councils have been forced to reduce bus services, new figures reveal. Local authorities have been forced to reduce bus services by more than...
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11 Nov 2016
Plan to withdraw red phone boxes
RURAL communities are being urged to adopt their local red phone box – or face the possibility of its removal. Out of 46,000 working public payphone kiosks on the streets...
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10 Nov 2016
Broadband still slower than advertised
Broadband users are still receiving internet speeds much slower than those advertised, an investigation has revealed. Almost half (45%) of 18-34 year olds have complained to their internet provider about...
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07 Nov 2016
Wi-fi scheme launched for village halls
A NEW scheme lets rural residents access superfast broadband via a hub installed in their local village hall. Superfast Essex is the county’s broadband improvement programme which is working to...
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04 Nov 2016
Rural fears over online tax information
RURAL business owners fear they could be “unfairly punished” if they are made to submit tax information online. Concern about the government’s plan to digitise all tax-related accounting from 2018...
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