The digital divide is a a very real reality in the UK. Large corporations and those in established towns and cities may not believe that the digital divide is an issue, yet many areas see SMEs struggle to secure high-speed Internet connections.
Although not a new issue, over the past few months the digital divide has become increasingly high-profile. Numerous ISPs have been investigated by the regulatory body Ofcom due to the fact that they are not providing their customers with agreed download speeds or connectivity services.
In order for SMEs to expand they will need to utilise the same services as their competitors including managed hosting, advanced security solutions and private connections. This, however, is near impossible in some regions. This fact will ultimately lead to a vicious cycle where those with the facilities to advance will continue to do so, while those on the lower end of the digital divide will fall further behind.
In a bid to resolve the digital divide Fluidata works with over sixty of the most prominent ISPs in the UK in order to provide high-speed, reliable Internet connections in areas previously effected by rural broadband. There is, however, still a long way to go to resolve the issue of the digital divide.
Piers Daniell, Managing Director at Fluidata, said: "With our Service Exchange Platform we are able to help build the business case for infrastructure businesses to invest in new technology into areas desperate for any kind of reasonable connectivity, let alone superfast.
"We believe that by pooling the resources of the industry there is a win-win scenario for all, so it is very important for us all to work together and embrace all technologies rather than look inwards into our own individual investments."
As technology advances both here in the UK and across the world it is often easy to forget about those that do not have access to high-speed Internet connections. The responsibility falls to those that work in the technology sector to strive to eliminate the digital divide, ultimately helping more technological advancements take place in the future.
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