Lack of rural connectivity holding UK farming back says NFU

By Nicky Godding

10 May 2022

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The lack of action to improve rural connectivity is holding UK food production back, the NFU reports as its new Digital Technology Survey reveals that greater broadband and mobile connectivity is needed to meet the needs of modern food and farming businesses.

Respondents to the survey stressed that rural areas should have access to the same level of digital service and infrastructure as urban areas, including better speed, coverage and reliability. The NFU has called for government to prioritise digital connectivity in rural areas as part of its plan to level up the country.

NFU Vice President David Exwood said: “This survey makes for very disappointing reading. It shows that very little progress has been made over the past year to increase levels of broadband and mobile access in rural areas despite government promises to level up the country. This lack of digital connectivity puts a huge drain on time and efficiency as we’re effectively working with one arm tied behind our backs.

“Farming, like every other business, needs access to reliable broadband and mobile connections. They are vital to running modern day food and farming business, impacting everything from accessing data and utilising technology to communicating with suppliers and keeping workers safe on farm.

“Yet poor connectivity remains a real issue for farmers across the country at a time when they are working hard to boost efficiency and productivity in the face of rising costs. It puts farm businesses at a disadvantage, ultimately preventing us from increasing production of sustainable, affordable British food for markets both at home and abroad.

“If the government is serious about levelling up the country, it needs to ramp up efforts now to deliver better digital services to rural areas and bridge the digital divide which will in turn support rural communities to thrive.”

The NFU’s Digital Technology Survey surveyed 846 NFU farmer and grower members between 9 December 2021 and 13 March 2022.
The survey showed that:

Only 44 per cent of respondents said their phone signal is sufficient for the needs of their business.
83 per cent are unable to get reliable mobile signal in all outdoor locations on farm.
Only 38 per cent said their broadband speed is sufficient for the needs of their business.
30 per cent have download speeds of less than 2Mbps and 49% have download speeds of less than 10Mbps, while only 24% have access to superfast download speeds of over 24Mbps.
4G access remains the same as last year at 82 per cent .

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.