Only 40 per cent of rural households have access to ultra-fast connectivity compared to 76 per cent of all European Union households. Even so, rural broadband offers great opportunities for the economic competitiveness of Europe’s regions with rural areas, in particular, depending on good connectivity not just for roads and railways but also “internet highways.”
This was one of the messages to emerge from a recent event on rural broadband in Brussels. The online event on “next generation access” heard that digital farming technologies have opened up a “wealth of new opportunities” for farmers. Remote sensors, satellites and drones can monitor plant health, soil conditions, temperature, nitrogen utilisation and much more.
AI-based tools can analyse such data and provide valuable information to farmers, all at high speed. Fast internet, in turn, can help them make critical decisions and save money. All this is only possible with rural broadband but the debate on 9 July was told that, currently, the European Commission’s objective to have 100 percent of Europeans, including in rural areas, connected to fast internet by the end of this year will unfortunately not be met.
With broadband access in rural areas still almost half the EU average, the commission, in an e ort to ensure the rural community is not left behind, has tabled an “Action Plan for Rural Broadband” which seeks to expand broadband in rural areas of Europe.
“We urgently need even the most basic connectivity for all rural areas. This should be our common goal. Such services should be available for all those who want it” Franc Bogovič
One of the commission’s aims, the event heard, is to connect the recently-formed ‘Broadband Competence Offices’ (BCOs) with rural stakeholders. Only by connecting BCOs to those dealing with specific hurdles encountered at rural level can the “digital divide” be addressed, it was said.
Janusz Wojciechowski, EU commissioner for agriculture, was among those taking part in the “virtual” seminar, entitled “Rural Broadband: opportunities and challenges, narrowing the gap to support farmers and rural regions.”
Speaking in a session on “closing the urban rural digital gap – the case for smart villages,” the official said the availability of “high capacity” networks is vital for the future economic well-being of rural areas, adding that this will “also bring better education and health services” to those areas.”
These public services, he noted, will be critical for the future of farming and will help ensure that future generations are attracted to the agricultural industry. He highlighted the role of “smart villages”, a relatively new concept in the realm of EU policy making which, broadly, refers to rural areas and communities which build on their existing strengths and assets as well as on developing new opportunities.
Franc Bogovič, the chair of the Rural, Mountainous and Remote Areas and Smart Villages Intergroups and a member of the REGI Committee in Parliament, also took part in the debate, highlighting the “critical importance” of rural broadband.
The Slovenian EPP deputy said, “We urgently need even the most basic connectivity for all rural areas. This should be our common goal. Such services should be available for all those who want it.” He said he wants to see the roll out of “super-fast connectivity” in rural areas “as soon as possible.”
But, despite the e orts of the European Union and most Member States, the gap in connectivity between rural areas and cities and towns in Europe is growing, not decreasing, Huawei’s Abraham Liu told the webinar that “Connectivity in Europe has grown steadily over the last few years, reaching over 80 per cent of the population. But if we disaggregate the data, we can see that this percentage drops to less than 50 per cent in rural areas - and the gap does not appear to be closing in order to reach the objectives of the Digital Agenda by the end of 2020,” said Liu, who is Huawei’s chief representative to the European institutions.
“The health pandemic has shown us that networks are the lifeblood of our European societies. Europe now needs to be bold and determined” Abraham Liu
Huawei wants to help Europe overcome this rural broadband gap, he said, adding “This can now be done in an easier and more affordable way than before.” Liu said mobile operators face “two key challenges” in driving digital inclusion in rural areas, including extending coverage remains economically challenging given the high costs of increasing coverage and issues connected to consumer demand.
Another issue, he suggests, is “inconsistent and distortive” regulation from governments, which restricts public and private investment in connecting the unconnected. “Overcoming these barriers will require innovation and collaboration between the public and private sectors. Huawei has many solutions to bring ultra-long-distance voice and digital access services to rural areas,” Liu added.
Liu welcomed the EU’s Smart Villages initiative, saying that Huawei, with its extensive Smart Cities, Smart Grids and Smart Farming experiences, saw itself as a natural partner for the project, which comes under the umbrella of the European Network for Rural Development.
“The health pandemic has shown us that networks are the lifeblood of our European societies. Europe now needs to be bold and determined. 5G and AI are rare strategic opportunities that will help Europe move forward – in rural areas as fast as in cities.”