The Countryside Alliance has written to Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom, following our recent parliamentary roundtable on rural broadband, urging the regulator to champion the needs of rural communities in crucial international forums.
Our letter highlights the persistent challenges facing rural areas despite recent progress on fibre rollout. While we acknowledge improvements, too many of our members continue to experience broadband not-spots, unreliable connections and uncertainty around when proper connectivity will reach their communities.
For rural businesses poor broadband is often the single biggest barrier to growth and investment. We have made clear to Ofcom that addressing this isn't just about technology – it's about the economic future of rural Britain.
One encouraging development is the growth of satellite broadband. Ofcom's own Connected Nations report shows the number of satellite connections in the UK has doubled in the past year, with new providers entering the market. This technology offers real hope for communities where traditional fibre rollout remains uneconomical or years away.
However, our roundtable identified a critical issue: outdated international regulations, known as 'EPFD limits', are forcing these modern low Earth orbit satellite networks to operate at artificially reduced power and capability. These limits were set over thirty years ago to protect older geostationary satellites and simply haven't kept pace with technological advances or the needs of rural communities today.
We've asked Dame Melanie for an update on how Ofcom is representing UK rural communities' interests at international regulatory forums such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), where these technical standards are set.
This matters because decisions made in these international forums directly impact the quality and availability of broadband services in rural Britain. Ofcom has a crucial opportunity to ensure that outdated regulations don't prevent rural communities from benefitting from emerging technologies that could finally deliver the connectivity they need.
The Countryside Alliance will continue pressing Ofcom and government to prioritise rural broadband and ensure regulations support, rather than hinder, innovation that serves our communities. We believe Ofcom's good work supporting connectivity innovation in the UK must be matched by equally strong advocacy in international forums.
We'll keep members updated on Ofcom's response and our ongoing efforts to secure the reliable, high-quality broadband connectivity that rural Britain deserves.