If you are reading this on your smartphone, tablet or laptop it means that you have access to a device, it’s connected to the internet, and you have the skills to know how to use it. But millions of people in the UK live in areas where they are not able to communicate online, handle information and content, make transactions or problem-solve on the internet.
In addition, the latest Ofcom research found that 1.5 million households remain offline with much more lacking access to sufficient quality to cope with the demands of the digital economy. 150,000 households across the UK fall below a “decent” level of internet coverage meaning a download speed of at least 10Mb/s and an upload speed of at least 1Mb/s, while nearly 250,000 more have access to sufficient upload speeds but not 10Mb/s download speeds.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic pushed our lives online and narrowed the digital divide – the proportion of UK homes without internet access fell from 11 per cent in March 2020 to 6 per cent a year later – it is more critical than ever that people have access to a secure and reliable internet connection.
Here comes the good news…
In 2021, the government launched Project Gigabit, a £5bn initiative to improve broadband speeds in rural areas and “at least” 85% of UK premises by 2025. It aims to provide widespread gigabit connections, resulting in faster speeds of one gigabit per second. You can read the Government’s Project Gigabit latest update here.
In addition, Ofcom announced that full-fibre internet will reach half of UK homes in March 2023. Ofcom’s group director for networks and communications, Lindsey Fussell, said while there is still a lot of work to do to bring faster connections to all parts of the country, the roll-out progress in recent years has been rapid.
There’s a good chance you could get faster broadband already!
You can consider switching to fibre broadband, as it’s a high-speed, efficient and reliable option. Everyday Communications provides stress-free residential and home broadband across the UK — including rural areas. Our Fibre products ( Everyday Fibre / Everyday Fibre for business) are being delivered using Sogea, which is the next generation of FTTC.
If your area has 4G coverage, mobile broadband can be a good solution to improve your internet speed. Mobile broadband technology provides wireless high-speed internet access to your portable devices – mobile phones, laptops, or tablets, for example.
Our Mobile Broadband service caters to businesses across the country and it’s ideal for companies and teams operating away from a major telecoms infrastructure, especially in out-of-town locations.
If you would like to learn more about our services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our helpful team.
