Dont forget rural-urban digital divide, says CLA

The CLA today (18 October) issued a reminder not to forget the rural-urban digital divide during Get Online Week.

The Association warned that businesses and communities in rural areas without an adequate broadband service continue to be digitally disadvantaged.

CLA President William Worsley said: One in five people in rural communities is still unable to connect to the internet effectively.

Broadband access for rural areas is essential for their businesses to grow.  Without broadband it will become harder for rural business to compete effectively with their urban counterparts.

Mr Worsley added: Internet service providers must help to close the rural-urban digital divide. Broadband is an essential tool to help UK businesses recover from the current economic crisis.

• Get Online Week runs from 18 24 October. For more information on the campaign please visit: www.getonlineweek.com
• 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.