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Rural business leaders have called for a public-private partnership to end the digital divide. Plans for a broadband tax to cover the cost of expanding access to high-speed IT services for countryside communities have been challenged by a telecoms boss – Charles Dunston – and campaigners. The Country Land and Business Association, warned revenue raised would not be enough to upgrade the current network to cope with high-speed broadband, and the growing gap between urban and rural provision would widen as a result. The group has stepped up its campaign arguing that broadband is now a as essential as basic utilities, such as water, gas and electricity. For some businesses, it may be even more important, in terms of remaining competitive in the market place. For farmers and other agri-businesses the lack of access is being exacerbated by the Governments efforts to digitalise administration, such as the single farm payment and the whole-farm approach. The groups's head of rural business development, Charles Trotman, said: ‘What is required is a legal obligation on the part of broadband service providers to ensure that everyone has access to a minimum broadband speed of 2Mbps. ‘If the telecoms industry is feeling the financial pinch, why can't the Government put in place a public-private partnership, where the funds needed for new infrastructure are made available through a loans guarantee?' His comments were backed by mobile phone mogul Mr Dunstone, the chief executive of TalkTalk, who warned private investors could wait for the tax cash, slowing roll out even further. ‘We now need to let the private sector drive next generation broadband as far as it can,' he said. ‘Public funding at this stage – in what appears to be an effort to "keep up with the Joneses in Korea, Singapore and the Netherlands" – is simply going to waste customers' money and slow down roll out.'

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WHITEHALL

Call for PPP cash to close gaps in rural digital divide

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