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SATELLITE broadband is essential if internet speeds are to be speeded up in rural areas, believes a government minister. Science minister David Willetts was responding to a parliamentary question from Harriett Baldwin, Conservative MP for West Worcestershire. ...
A MAJOR milestone was reached when the government's rural superfast broadband programme connected its first village. The rural community of Ainderby Steeple in North Yorkshire became the first community to be connected, with download speeds of up to...
RURAL businesses and communities are expected to be among the main beneficiaries of faster next-generation mobile broadband. Everything Everywhere – the company behind Orange and T-Mobile – has been given the go-ahead to offer so-called 4G services from...
BETTER support is needed for rural communities to deliver their own superfast internet connections. More action would inspire community enterprise initiatives that deliver superfast broadband services in rural areas, says a study. The report, Rural Broadband...
RURAL people and businesses risk being left behind by the government's broadband strategy, peers have warned. The House of Lords Communications Committee said the government was preoccupied with faster broadband speeds rather than improving access for residents. ...
RURAL communities have a second chance to apply for rural broadband funding. It aims to help communities in the remotest areas get superfast broadband to help transform their businesses and the wider community. Details of how to...
MPs have called for a fairer deal from the government for rural communities. The issue of rural communities was debated in a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday (17 March). Simon Hart, MP Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire,...
FUEL prices have overtaken slow broadband as the biggest rural issue, a computer guru has warned. Petrol prices are the critical issue facing rural businesses, said internet boss Chris Stanbury, managing director of Cravenplan Computers . In...
GOVERNMENT support for rural communities is to be debated by MPs. The Westminister Hall debate is scheduled for 11am–12.30pm on Tuesday (17 April). It will be led by Simon Hart , Tory MP for Carmarthen West and...
A NEW broadband scheme aims to boost business in the North Yorkshire market towns of Malton and Norton. But firms must act quickly as funding deadlines mean that applications for grants must be submitted by 30th April 2012....
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Amid reduced public spending, fair resource allocation across regions is crucial. Despite a population larger than Greater London, rural areas receive significantly less funding for essential services, even though delivering these services in rural areas is more expensive.
Economic growth is widely acknowledged as essential for national wealth and prosperity and is a priority for political parties. Rural economies, employing millions and home to a higher proportion of small businesses, have potential for growth if barriers are removed.
Rural residents face distinct healthcare challenges, including limited access to transport, longer distances to medical facilities, an aging demographic, housing inadequacies, digital connectivity gaps, and difficulties recruiting health and care workers.
Rural communities are grappling with a severe affordable housing crisis, marked by high house prices, a lack of affordable housing, elevated living costs, and lower incomes, threatening their sustainability and vitality.
Transport is vital for the quality of life and economic health of rural areas, yet it faces challenges such as infrequent public bus services and less Government funding compared to urban regions.
Rural areas, encompassing a substantial portion of England's population and land, play a pivotal role in combating climate change and achieving the net zero target.
In an increasingly digital world, the lack of robust digital infrastructure in rural areas severely limits access to crucial services and stifles economic growth.
A future-focused vision for rural communities involves not just building the right homes in the right places but also ensuring thriving, sustainable communities.
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