Broadband despair in downland homes

The South Downs Society has launched a campaign to tackle the lamentable provision of broadband internet in the South Downs which it says is costing businesses and communities serious economic hardship.

"Our farms, villages and market town communities are at a serious economic and social disadvantage due to lack of fast broadband computer access to the internet," said John Songhurst, chairman of the South Downs Society.

He continued: "Businesses and social life in our rural communities are being seriously damaged by the coastal strip conurbation which is 'sucking out' economic and social viability and exacerbating commuting.

"The rural disadvantage can be partly redressed by access to fast broadband, which will support not only existing business and social activities, but also attract new ones.

"In the interests of our new South Downs National Park community, the South Downs Society has challenged the Chairman of British Telecom, Sir Michael Rake, to form a partnership with the South Downs Society to roll out fibre optic cable to our rural communities.

"The society is delighted to offer our networking skills to marshal the partnership resources for this 'test' within the National Park, for extension as a model to other rural areas, if successful."

Digital signal capacity down the ordinary copper telephone wire is restricted and fades at some three miles form the exchange.

Fibre optic cable can carry a much larger volume of digital traffic.

Many South Downs villages can receive no better than 2 Mbps.

Fibre optic cable should allow speeds up to 40 Mbps and beyond.

"As the generational values change, it is important to recognise that fast broadband is a 21st century necessity, just as we take the services of water, electricity and telephone for granted today" said John.

"HRH the Prince of Wales wrote recently of the 'broadband deserts' in our countryside. A number of our Downland villages along the north scarp of the chalk, as well as in the wooded greensand hills of the Western Weald, receive very poor broadband service.

"This must change, and soon."

The broadband issue has also been taken up by the Country Landowners' Association which says that previous calls for action have fallen on deaf ears.

Chairman Rupert Asby said: "We now have even more evidence to demonstrate why a solution must be found once and for all to close this unfair digital divide.

"The situation needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency."