Commsworld and Alncom have partnered to boost connectivity for retail motor group Tustain Motors, headquartered in Alnwick and with dealerships across rural areas of England and Scotland.
Fri, 12/05/2023 - 12:05
The Local Government Alliance is calling for the appointment of a dedicated Digital Exclusion Minister, given the task of overseeing a new strategy to close the growing digital divide.
This comes from a report finding that access to fixed broadband is 15 percentage points lower in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived, despite them using nearly 50 per cent more data.
The LGA also highlights the relationship between having fixed broadband and higher earnings and educational achievement.
It found that each 10 percentage point increase in access to fixed broadband is associated with a four percentage point increase in the economic activity rate and about three points in the average Attainment 8 score at Key Stage 4.
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Digital Connectivity spokesperson for the LGA, said: “The Government has pledged to give every home and business access to the fastest possible broadband, but this report demonstrates the digital divide is still holding some back in the broadband slow lane.”
“We need a complete refresh of the current digital inclusion strategy, which is nearly a decade old, with a minister in charge to oversee it and make sure no one is left behind.”
