BT has decided to systematically rollout ADSL broadband to a further 1,128 exchanges by no later than summer 2005. This will help bring broadband to exchanges serving 99.6 per cent of UK homes and businesses.

Government Response: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

A spokesman for DEFRA said: "BT's announcement brings sharply into focus the importance of delivering clear evidence of the relevance and impact of broadband to rural communities.  This is something on which the joint DTI/Defra Rural Broadband Unit will want to continue to work with CLA and others, to help promote the benefits offered by broadband. Defra's sponsorship of a national category for rural innovation in this year's E-Commerce Awards should help flush out some good case studies to help us deliver these messages. Ministers and officials are also alive to the position of those whose exchanges are not in BT's current plans and those households that fall outside the reach of enabled exchanges."

Forum Response: Country Land and Business Association

CLA's rural economy adviser Dr Charles Trotman said: "This is the announcement we have been waiting for.

"The final task is to get people to use broadband.

"We understand that in urban areas only nine per cent of the population is using broadband where it is available. We believe that in rural areas this demand could be as high as 30 per cent. Broadband offers well documented advantages for rural areas. Of the people who have connected via broadband, not a single one has given it up."

Forum Response: Countryside Agency

The Countryside Agencies senior public affairs officer Susan Bennett said: "The Countryside Agency agrees that this is a good step forward and welcomes BT's move - it is becoming clear that we now need to move on to  increasing demand for broadband services by highlighting the benefits.

"However we must not neglect those areas outside of an enabled exchange, all stakeholders need to work together to reach these areas - community schemes such as those highlighted in the Countryside Agency's Best Practice Guide on Rural Broadband could play a part in theses areas.
  

"BT's 99.6 per cent coverage figure is dependent on the success of the trials to take ADSL out to 10 km from the exchange - trials of this technology will take place in Milton Keynes later this year. If these prove unsuccessful there will be over a million potential customers outside of range.
  

"Finally, as we look to the broadband future we need to ensure that the digital divide does not reopen as newer and faster technologies become available."

Forum Response: Countryside Alliance

A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said: "The CA fully support the CLA campaign to ensure that rural areas have access to Broadband technology.

"We welcome the latest BT announcement to systematic roll out broadband in exchanges, which will see the latest technology installed in a further 1,128 exchanges by summer 2005, making it accessible to 99.6 per cent of households and companies. But in remote rural areas many people will still be left out in the cold as they work or live too far away from their local exchange.

"The process by which communities register their demand for BT Broadband should take into account the disparities in population density between urban and rural areas, so that those living in rural areas have as much chance of obtaining broadband as those in more densely populated areas.

"In conjunction with the CLA we challenge BT to take this one step further and lengthen the distance that broadband is available from the exchange - this should enable almost all home users and rural businesses to take up and receive the benefits that broadband has to offer."