You might live in a remote corner of the UK, far away from the noise and pollution of London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, or the other major cities. You love the quiet, your neighbours, the fresh air, everything is great, until you need to access the internet! You may then have a problem.
Demand for broadband provision in rural areas has risen faster than in urban areas, and has even affected property prices. Sales of some properties will not go through unless the house or commercial premises is in an area where broadband is available.
Residents in one area of Cumbria became so fed up with BT’s inability to provide a service that they did it themselves by creating their own broadband cooperative, the first of its kind in Britain. Once fitted with a broadband connection, some homes saw a rise in price of upwards of 20% when put on the market. Rural areas have become a popular place for working from home business people and entrepreneurs, but their livelihood is often dependant upon internet access, and most usually broadband access. Without that there is probably no pay cheque, and of course no ability to pay the mortgage.
If you’re considering a move to a more rural area be sure to ask around about what types of internet access are available, and at what speeds. BT’s “up to 8 Mb” speed is notoriously well below that in rural areas, sometimes so far below that a dial-up connection might be a cheaper option.
Talk to your potential neighbours or a knowledgeable estate agent to find out what types of reliable service are available in the location you’re considering, and what the advertised speeds are likely to be in reality.