High Speed Internet Access Vital

The European Commission has called for the 30% of rural populations across the EU without high speed Internet access to be connected as a priority.

This is a move towards achieving ‘broadband for all’ and yesterday (March 3) the Commission said this would be a powerful tool to stimulating swift economic recovery. It also outlined how it would use its own support programmes to boost Internet networks and services in rural areas.

“If we’re serious about having prosperous and vibrant rural areas, we still need to help everyone get the most out of modern technologies,” said Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

“We must do our utmost to bring Internet technologies to all citizens of Europe. Internet technologies contribute to half of productivity growth in the EU and the EU’s Member States cannot afford their rural areas missing out on this potential, especially not in these times of economic crisis.”

This announcement from the Commission follows the unanimous adoption of Councillor Bob Bright’s opinion last month at a Committee of the Regions (CoR) plenary session. Councillor Bright, Welsh Local Government Association member of the EU CoR said that broadband should be considered a universal service.

In his report he put forward that broadband is an essential service and EU competition rules should see it as being as vital to modern life as other utility services. He added that increasingly broadband should be treated as a ‘fourth utility’ and be perceived as a smart investment in the current economic climate.

The European Parliament and the Council are discussing making a further €1bn available through the European Economic Recovery Plant to spread high Internet access more widely across all regions of Europe.

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Last Updated: 06/03/2009 13:28:59 By Charlotte Jacques