Satellite Broadband, closing the Digital Divide.

While many of us take our broadband connection for granted, there are millions of people across the world and even today in the UK who can’t access the Internet.

This is such a serious situation that it is even mentioned in the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals that set out to end extreme poverty, ensure healthy lives and deliver lifelong learning. The UN believes that by opening up access to the modern digital world, we can give isolated communities many of the tools they need in order to grow and prosper.

It’s not just developing countries that are facing connectivity issues. Bridging the digital divide is a challenge that needs to be addressed to guarantee the future development of Scotland as well. When discussing ways of achieving this, Satellite broadband has long been recognised as an effective and sustainable method especially for those who live in rural areas.

HOW IS SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY HELPING TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE?

Satellite communication systems help to bridge the digital divide by possessing three key factors – they’re global, resilient and reliable. With just a PC and a multi-user satellite terminal, people anywhere on the planet can gain instant access to education, healthcare, banking and business – all the essential building blocks of a sustainable society in today’s digital economy.

RURAL COMMUNITIES.

A large number of people living in rural/remote areas of Scotland are stuck with very slow, intermittent connectivity or even no broadband. As well as inconveniencing homeowners, this poses a number of problems for businesses of all shapes and sizes. A study carried out by the Government’s Rural Advocate found that around 200,000 young people are leaving the countryside every year as they seek out more modern services: such as faster Internet speeds. This is having a dramatic impact on rural communities as the lack of young people is resulting in businesses, pubs and even local amenities closing.

The problem in a rural environment is that fast broadband needs modern infrastructure. This isn’t cheap and network operators consider what kind of return they’re likely to get for their investment before committing to it. Unfortunately, this means that the more remote areas often miss out on upgrades as they’re not considered economically viable.

When fixed line Internet is restricted to dial-up; mobile signals aren’t available; and fibre optic is too expensive, satellite broadband is the ideal solution.

THE OLDER GENERATION

More than half of the UK’s over-65s are unable to get online. Not only does this mean that they’re missing out on the many conveniences of the Internet, it could also be detrimental to their mental health.

The Internet offers and encourages greater social integration and helps to remove the feelings of loneliness that many older people suffer from. It also gives them access to a wealth of information and support services. For the less mobile, it also allows them to follow and participate in a wide variety of interests and hobbies that only exist online.

Satellite broadband helps anyone to access the Internet, but can be particularly helpful to older generations who are more likely to live in rural towns or by the coast where connectivity issues are more prevalent. With no geographical discrimination, satellite broadband offers a simple yet robust and super-fast broadband connection anywhere.

For more information about how satellite broadband could help you, contact us today.