The CLA and Hughes Europe are to host a demonstration in Hampshire of how satellite technology can provide rural communities who struggle to connect to the internet with an effective, affordable broadband service.
The demonstration by Hughes will take place in Marchwood near Southampton on Sunday, 30 October as part of the CLA’s Can’t Get Online Week - a week-long roadshow touring rural England to highlight the difficulties residents and businesses face in getting online.
CLA President William Worsley said: "The CLA is lobbying to ensure that every rural business and household can access a broadband connection of at least five megabits per second (Mbps).
"Can’t Get Online Week aims to highlight how important reliable internet access is for the economic and social life of rural communities. Rural residents and businesses face real difficulties getting a decent broadband connection, with many still on dial-up."
Christopher Britton, managing director of Hughes Europe, said: "Dial-up no longer has to be the case. Thanks to the latest Ka-band satellite technology, we are able to provide robust and viable broadband which meets the needs of those areas of the UK not served by terrestrial DSL or cable solutions.
"This initiative follows a similar collaboration between Hughes and the CLA earlier this year when we joined forces at several countryside shows to support the CLA’s drive to put the ’e’ back in the rural economy. By helping areas that are commercially disadvantaged by a lack of connectivity, satellite broadband creates a level playing field because everyone can benefit equally from consistent high performance internet access."
