The Rural Shops Alliance (RSA) has criticised the government's plans to make broadband connectivity vouchers available to firms based in 22 cities in the UK, arguing that the high-speed technology is just as important to businesses in more remote areas.

Kenneth Parsons of the RSA commented: "It seems bizarre for the government to be subsidising businesses which already have the potential to access superfast broadband."

The Staffordshire Newsletter reports companies based in the county hold the same views as the RSA with regard to the government scheme, believing that having access to superfast broadband has become something of a necessity.

Mr Parsons explained that loading speeds of less than 1Mbps are not uncommon in rural parts of the UK, indicating more work needs to be done to connect people living in these areas to better broadband.

However, 95 per cent of Staffordshire residential and commercial properties should be able to access the superfast service by the spring of 2016, thanks to funding from the local county council, BT and Broadband Delivery UK.

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