Rural firms 'hindered' by broadband confusion

The working practices of small rural businesses are being slowed down rather than speeded up by broadband, new research claims.

Researchers from Brunel University spent three months assessing the impact of broadband internet services on the day-to-day running of small firms in rural and urban locations.

They found that while the time taken by city businesses to complete daily tasks speeded up once they had signed up to broadband, rural businesses took longer to carry them out after they had adopted the new technology.

Staff employed by a marketing firm in Devon, for example, spent around 90 minutes to complete 121 activities before they had connected to broadband.

Once fast-speed internet was in place, the employees took an extra 12 minutes to carry out the same tasks.

In contrast, the time taken for workers in a London mailing company to complete activities was cut when using broadband.

The report said most firms were adopting broadband technology without fully understanding its benefits. It called for more training to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of small businesses does not suffer.

Dr Jyoti Choudrie, from Brunel University, said: "When signing up to broadband technology, businesses should consider appointing information systems broadband experts to help the company exploit all benefits of broadband.

"This role should include providing training for staff and handling technology problems that may arise. Without this, it will be difficult for them to maximise all broadband benefits and develop a competitive edge."