Northern Ireland is fast becoming a digital nation, but action is still needed in rural and isolated areas
19 August 2010
Responding to the publication today of the Ofcom Communications Markets Review (CMR) in Northern Ireland, Communications Consumer Panel member for Northern Ireland Maureen Edmondson said:
“People in Northern Ireland have clearly embraced broadband: 70% claim to have broadband in Northern Ireland, close to the UK average (71%) and ahead of Scotland and Wales. This is great news, but we still need to do more to help people living in our rural and isolated communities get online, or they face missing out on the social and economic benefits the internet can bring.
“The growing number of low income, mobile-only households in Northern Ireland is also a barrier - without a landline people can’t access the internet, and mobile broadband is still in its infancy. The UK governments must ensure that people are not left out as more and more services and products are put online, and operators need to roll out mobile broadband to provide universal access across all four UK nations.”