We cannot settle for one in 20 people being left in the digital dark age when it comes to broadband and mobile connections, says the NFU’s Eleanor Birch.
She writes:
Doing business digitally is no longer a case of a ‘bonus extra’ – it is part of everyday life for farmers.
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That is why the NFU is looking beyond why there is a problem to establish what can be done to improve connectivity for businesses operating outside urban areas.
We know that farmers are connected by mobile phones and the internet, working with suppliers and contractors remotely from the field to efficiently run their farm business.
Online technology gives farmers better access to information, markets and accounting, while precision farming and GPS can be integrated into farm management to increase outputs and minimise inputs.
But for many this is not possible.
The Government has promised to deliver superfast broadband to 95% of the population by 2017 but this still leaves the final five percent at a disproportionate competitive disadvantage.
... the basic infrastructure is simply not in place and many receive broadband speeds of two megabits per second
Using evidence from its digital communication survey the NFU is determined to investigate solutions for its members in digital ‘not spots’ and to lobby for improvements to broadband and mobile infrastructure. Solutions will need to be affordable andreliable and allow for the fast transfer of information to enable farmers to compete. Key to this is cutting through red tape that is currently hindering progress.
Member evidence from the NFU’s recent digital survey is that the basic infrastructure is simply not in place and many receive broadband speeds of two megabits per second or less. Many of us were getting that before the turn of the millennium.
When it comes to mobile, the picture is not much better. Only 15% of people in our survey reported being able to access a good mobile signal in all areas.
The issue was pushed into the spotlight when the new CAP Basic Payment Scheme was available from 2015 – online only. Not only did this move put pressure on NFU members to connect digitally but it also exposed the physical lack of infrastructure available to members to participate. Ultimately it was no surprise that it was unsuccessful.
The NFU will use the results from its broadband survey to explicitly show Government that all rural areas need fast internet connections and reliable mobile phone coverage. Leaving one in 20 in the dark ages is not an option.