Satellite broadband could resolve the digital divide issue in rural UK

Instead of pursuing the time-consuming and expensive fibre based broadband rollout, the government should find an alternative way to fulfil its vision of universal, fast broadband access across the country, urged David McCourt, the Chief executive of Skyware Global.

According to him, satellite broadband which now provides speeds between 2Mb and 7Mb is the best option to handle the issue of digital divide in Britain.

Traditional broadband technologies like fixed line broadband and cable broadband have also reached their bottlenecks as the traffic on these networks continuously increase due to the surge of new customers. Satellite broadband can meet the excessive demand from the users, he believes.

“As more people want access to data wherever they are in the world, and increasingly data such as video rather than just voice, the capabilities of the cable networks are under pressure,” V3.co.uk quoted him as saying.

Despite the higher cost of hardware and installation, there are over 1.2 million satellite broadband connections worldwide. But, David McCourt expects the number could reach 10 to 15 million in the next few years as advancements in satellite technology could lead to cheaper prices.

Satellite broadband can provide immediate broadband access to the needy people, especially in developed economies, says, Patrick French, a senior analyst working at Northern Sky Research.

Government’s subsidy programs can make a vast difference in rural communities by providing satellite broadband service, according to Patrick who cites the example of Australia for promoting satellite broadband in rural areas.

“Satellite broadband is very effective at filling the still substantial number of broadband white spaces that are found in and around urban and suburban areas,” he added.

In UK, Tariam , the major European satellite broadband provider offers two-way connection with 3.6 Mbps download speeds.