大象传媒

Inconsistency in the availability of Broadband across the UK is creating a geographical digital divide. While urban areas are generally well served, some rural communities are still having to use dial-up to access the internet and other online services. Presenter Charlotte Smith reports from Cornwall, where an animation company called Spider Eye is finding it difficult to send work-in-progress electronically to clients in the USA. She also meets Barry Simmonds, an entrepreneur based in Devon, and experiences how painfully slow a dial-up service can be. Lack of reliable Broadband is seriously affecting businesses in many rural areas. A national network of fibre-optics is desperately required to eradicate technical inequality, but investment in this infrastructure will be costly.