Release date: July 10, 2013
AUDIT OFFICE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR BROADBAND ALTERNATIVES - NOW
The latest National Audit Office report into broadband delivery is further evidence that a broader approach is required to end the misery for the hundreds of thousands who still face an indefinite wait for fast broadband from the traditional suppliers.
The NAO report found that the government's rollout of ‘superfast' broadband to rural areas is about two years behind its original schedule, with only nine of 44 rural areas set to reach targets for high-speed internet by 2015, and four areas also possibly missing a revised 2017 target. More specifically, under the ‘90 per cent superfast coverage‘ obligation, this means that the remaining 10 per cent of rurally excluded households are likely to receive only the 2Mbps guaranteed minimum speed within the next 4 to 5 years.
The head of a leading satellite broadband company said the report highlighted the continuing failure to close the gap between the broadband haves and have-nots.
"Relying on the major infrastructure providers alone is proving to be a disaster for the many rural areas still facing years of limited or poor internet," said Mark Wynn, managing director of Avonline Broadband. "The time has come to stop putting all our eggs into one basket."
He cites the iNorthumberland programme where the digital arm of Northumberland County Council recently selected satellite and wireless operators to work with them to complement the four-year BT programme for their BDUK funded rural broadband project.
"Before even one kilometer of fibre has hit the planning board, Avonline is already connecting satellite broadband customers in Northumberland to its 20Mbps service," he said.
He added that thousands of people each month are now turning to the latest generation of proven satellite technology to bridge the gap and give them superfast broadband immediately.
Avonline Broadband is the UK's largest supplier of the Tooway satellite broadband service, which delivers download speeds of up to 20Mbps anywhere in the UK immediately via satellite transmission, with no need for infrastructure investment. The option of unlimited data allowances via satellite was also recently introduced for the first time in this country.
Avonline recently delivered a Parliamentary Briefing to MSPs, members of the wider Government Community and business leaders at the Scottish Parliament where live, working systems were installed in the Parliament building at Holyrood to demonstrate the capability and speeds of satellite broadband.
Mark Wynn said: "In the past few months we have seen record numbers of people coming to satellite broadband, rather than put up with the uncertainty of an indefinite wait for fibre or cable broadband. Most people suffering from poor broadband know that the reality is that such services will not reach them for years - if at all.
"Our message is simple - satellite broadband is universally available right now across the whole of the UK for just £25 a month with no public sector investment required."
Further information about the new Tooway satellite broadband services from Avonline is available at www.avonlinebroadband.co.uk.
ENDS
Background notes:
The new packages launched by Avonline Broadband provide the best value satellite broadband ever seen in the UK market. Avonline offers four packages, all of which now deliver 20Mbps download speed and 6Mbps upload with prices from £24.95 per month. Data allowances have been increased and for the first time, unlimited monthly data allowance is included in Avonline's Absolute package, costing £64.95 per month.
Satellite internet access guarantees the same high level of performance in every location regardless of landscape - on the top of a mountain, in the middle of the countryside, in a small isolated village or a city street. All you need is a small 74cm dish and a modem.
The new generation of Tooway Ka technology satellites went live in 2011. They beam fast, reliable broadband across the whole of the country. Using Tooway Broadband from Avonline can also mean free telephone calls via the internet, and subscription-free HD TV through the same dish.
Government ministers have said they are looking to satellite technology to tackle broadband speeds in rural areas. Science minister David Willetts told the House of Commons in December that satellite broadband was seen by the government as an "essential means to deliver faster internet access for rural communities, businesses and individuals".
Avonline plc is one of the UK's leading installation and business services companies. Established in 1981, Avonline teams are installing and supporting broadband and digital services to customers across the UK and Ireland.
Avonline has a specialist division deploying broadband satellite solutions to consumers and business customers. Avonline's Satellite Broadband services span from individual satellite broadband connections through to high speed networks supporting VPN, VoIP, video and broadband data for enterprise customers.
Avonline actively supports the UK Government's Digital Inclusion policies, is a partner of theRace Online 2012 initiativeand is supporting the Welsh Assembly's Broadband Support Scheme.
The company has been involved in satellite broadband for almost a decade and is the UK's largest provider of Tooway™ services in the UK.
Note to editors:
For further information and interviews:
Mark Wynn, Managing Director, Avonline Broadband, tel 07970 008001
Email: mark.wynn@avonline.co.uk
Images are available from:
Ken Harrison, HPR Marketing, tel 07801 649045. Email kharrison@hprmarketing.co.uk