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Rory Stewart MP says rural Britain needs 4G mobile broadband
Rural locations could "die out and disappear" without 4G connectivity, Rory Stewart MP has said.
If remote parts of the country are not given guarantees on 4G coverage in the forthcoming mobile spectrum auction they could face a fight for survival, due to the increasing digital divide between urban and rural areas, he claimed.
Consequently, the MP for Penrith and the Border urged Ofcom to implement measures that force network operators to extend super-fast mobile broadband services to the countryside.
"If Ofcom fails to do this, more and more rural communities will simply die out and disappear," Mr Stewart declared.
He went on to state the auction represents the "last chance in a generation" for the regulator to give remote locations the chance to benefit from fast mobile broadband.
Six million UK residents will remain isolated if Ofcom fails to get the process right, he warned.
Mr Stewart added: "This auction must not be about Ofcom getting a quick and easy lump sum off the operators bidding for the rights to use this spectrum."
The politician was speaking at the launch of 3 Mobile's Rural Broadband Working Group project in Kaber, which has seen the service provider offer free mobile broadband connectivity to residents in the Cumbrian village.
Some 11 rural communities across the UK will benefit from free 3G access for a year under the initiative. Gringley-on-the-Hill in north Nottinghamshire was the first village to benefit, with 3 Mobile offering locals 30 dongles and free data.
When the initiative was unveiled in August, chief executive of 3 Mobile Dave Dyson stated the company will be able to stamp out the issue of poor broadband access in remote locations if it wins the necessary spectrum at the upcoming auction.
"Low-frequency spectrum on a network as big as ours is a real notspot-killer," he said.