Downton star backs rural broadband campaign
Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville is supporting Can’t Get Online Week from 30 October to 6 November.
The week-long roadshow, sponsored by the CLA, will tour rural communities across England to highlight the difficulties they face in getting online.
He said: “I yearn for a connection that just stays on, never mind one that goes at the speed of light. I’d love to run aspects of my work from home; I’d love to sign up for services that stream content but the connection’s just too unreliable. Some days I can’t even send an email and there doesn’t seem to be much I can do about it.
“The BT Infinity advertisements drive me nuts. When I applied I was told there aren’t enough people in my area to merit the local exchange being upgraded but that if sufficient support was drummed up, it might get the opportunity to go in a ballot and possibly be considered for improvement.
“Ironically, the best broadband connection I’ve experienced was a lot further than 40 miles from London – it was in Liberia.”
The CLA is lobbying to ensure that every rural business and household can access a broadband connection of at least five megabits per second (Mbps).
CLA President William Worsley, whose ancestor Frances married the real-life Lord Grantham in the 18th Century, said: “One fifth of rural England still does not have adequate capacity broadband, and in today’s world that is just not acceptable.
“The Government wants us to fill in tax returns online because it’s more cost-effective and schools expect children to do homework online. These are only possible if homes and businesses have a good broadband connection.
“Internet service providers must concentrate on bringing broadband not-spots up to speed rather than making the already fast even faster.”
Can’t Get Online Week is being run by IT and social media expert John Popham who will demonstrate why the internet is as vital to the economic and social lives of rural people as of their urban counterparts. John will carry a petition with him for people with broadband problems to sign. Alternatively, there is an e-petition for those who can get online to support the campaign: www.cla.org.uk/policy_work/petitions/
- For more information on Can’t Get Online Week please visit: http://www.cla.org.uk/Policy_Work/Cant_get_online_week/
- Twitter: #cantgetonline
- The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has around 35,000 members.
- As a membership organisation, the CLA supports landowners by advising them on how best to protect and maximise their asset: the land. We are dedicated to supporting landowners and their businesses. Our success is measured by how effectively we do that. We have a team of experts in London and a regional structure able to give local support.
- We have been looking after the interests of our members, as well as promoting the positive aspects of land ownership, land management and rural business activities for the past 100 years. CLA members own or manage approximately half the rural land in England and Wales, and the resulting expertise puts us in a unique position to formulate policies and lobby effectively.
- For more information about the CLA, visit: www.cla.org.uk or follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/CLAtweets