Access to Services
26 Jul 2016
Call to safeguard rural postal services
POSTAL deliveries to and from remote and sparsely populated areas must not be jeopardised, the Rural Services Network has warned. The network issued the warning in its response to a...
Read more19 Jul 2016
Partnership delivers faster broadband
More than 90,000 rural premises in Derbyshire now have access to faster download speeds, thanks to a local authority fibre broadband partnership. The multi-million pound Digital Derbyshire programme is a...
Read more15 Jul 2016
Brexit has ‘major’ rural implications
LEAVING the European Union has major implications for England’s countryside communities, the Rural Services Network has warned. Safeguarding the future of rural services – and those that provide them –...
Read more12 Jul 2016
Rural police need fair funding – report
RURAL police forces could lose out because government thinking is skewed in favour of urban areas, says a report. The Fair Funding for Rural Policing study comes as the Home...
Read more11 Jul 2016
Action ‘vital’ on rural mobile coverage
URGENT action is needed to improve rural mobile phone coverage, business leaders have warned. Introduced this month, the government’s Digital Economy Bill includes a pledge for faster rural broadband –...
Read more05 Jul 2016
Women in Community Rail launched
A new group has been launched to champion the role of women in local and rural community rail routes. Women in Community Rail aims to promote and supporte inclusiveness and...
Read more03 Jul 2016
Telecoms watchdog seeks rural volunteers
TELECOMS watchdog Ofcom wants rural people to tell it about the broadband challenges they face. Ofcom said it wanted to find out more about the “rural broadband experience” by encouraging...
Read more03 Jul 2016
Bank closures ‘damage communities’
MPs have voiced concern that bank branch closures are devastating local communities. The issue was debated in the House of Commons on Thursday (30 June) following a motion proposed by...
Read more03 Jul 2016
Council leader in broadband warning
Significant challenges must be overcome to bring superfast broadband to rural areas, a council leader has warned. Roy Perry, leader of Hampshire County Council, said thousands more residents were set...
Read more27 Jun 2016
Network fights for better broadband
RENEWED effort is required to ensure that the final 5% of premises have adequate broadband connections, says the Rural Services Network. The government’s proposed “right to request” superfast broadband connections...
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