Fluidata Reports on the Issue of the UK's Digital Divide
LONDON, November 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Over the past few years the connectivity specialist Fluidata has created a number of innovative and ground-breaking solutions for businesses affected by rural broadband issues. Large corporations and those that live in established towns and cities may not believe that the digital divide is an issue here in the UK, yet in a number of areas SMEs are struggling to secure high-speed Internet connections which is ultimately hindering their ability to expand.
The issue of the digital divide is not something new, however over the past few months it 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. There has also been a debate concerning the monopolisation of the broadband market here in the UK, with some claiming that large corporations such as BT Openreach are pushing others out of the market by undercutting their retail prices.
In order for SMEs to expand in the future they will need to utilise the same services as their competitors including managed hosting, advanced security solutions and private connections, however due to the digital divide this 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.
As competition is so fierce between ISPs it has previously been difficult to resolve the digital divide, which is why Fluidata created their Service Exchange Platform (SEP) as early as 2009. 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.
As the solution is the first of its kind, Fluidata was rewarded with The Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation 2014, however there is still a long way to go to resolve the issue of the digital divide here in the UK. 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. This is why it is of the utmost importance for those that work in the technology sector to strive to eliminate the digital divide, ultimately helping more technological advancements take place in the future.
Fluidata is a multi-award winning Data Delivery Network specialist, providing a range of solutions to businesses across the UK. Their expansive solutions utilise technologies including DSL, EFM, Fibre, advanced failover and unique aggregation technology, VPLS/MPLS and Wireless and Satellite.
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