“Almost half of homes and businesses in rural areas described as “live” on broadband maps are not connected for fast speeds, it has been revealed.
The premises have been “passed” by fibre networks capable of delivering speeds of 24 Megabits per second (Mbps), so are shaded green – “live and accepting orders” – on official maps.
But 48 per cent of them – around 1.5 million people, it is believed – are stuck with speeds below 10Mbps and 22 per cent of those cannot obtain speeds above 5Mbps. A campaigner for better rural broadband, which uncovered the figures, accused ministers of carrying out a “deception” on people living and working in the countryside.
Graham Long, chairman of Broadband for Rural Devon and Somerset, said: “This is one of the biggest confidence tricks played on the British public since the South Sea Bubble. In urban areas, the passed but not connected effect is of the order of about four per cent – but in rural areas it is 48 per cent.” …
East Devon Watch 