Latest news with #ruralconnectivity
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
More buses for two rural routes in Telford
Rural bus passengers in Telford borough are set to benefit from more buses and a Saturday & Wrekin Council has announced a series of upgrades for the 102 and 103 bus will now operate every two hours, while Saturday journeys will be introduced for the first time. According to the council, these adjustments follow passenger concerns around limited weekend service and infrequent bus times. The 102 service connects Newport, Church Aston, Lilleshall, Muxton, Donnington, the Princess Royal Hospital, and council described it a "lifeline" for residents "needing access to healthcare, education, and employment".It said key concerns raised by members of the public included an irregular service and lack of evening or Saturday buses, as well as overcrowding during school runs leading to students being left also described the route as underused outside school hours, with some suggesting it be restructured or better integrated with other changes will be in operation from Monday, including the 105 service being integrated into the 103 timetable, which the council said ensured signage and clearer information will also be rolled out to support passengers. A spokesperson for the council said: "These changes are part of a wider effort to strengthen rural connectivity and ensure council-run services are delivering value for money and real benefit to local communities. "As with other Travel Telford services, the 102 and 103 will also receive a refreshed appearance as part of routine maintenance and contract renewal. "This is a practical update, designed to make council-operated buses easier to identify and more consistent across the network."Passengers may also notice a mix of vehicle appearances until the recognisable designs are completed and rolled out in August. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
RNZ News
15-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Call for digital connectivity to be treated as basic need
The Connecting Aotearoa Summit 2025 report calls for 100 percent digital connectivity. Photo: Gabriel Benois for Unsplash A recent forum of tech users wants digital connectivity to be treated as a basic necessity for all New Zealanders. The Connecting Aotearoa Summit 2025 report calls for 100 percent digital connectivity to ensure affordable access for all, regardless of location. "This report is a call to action, because one in five New Zealand households are still digitally excluded, and that is simply not acceptable," Technology Users Association (TUANZ) chief executive Craig Young said. "Connectivity must be recognised as an essential utility, just like electricity or water, so that no one is left behind." The report highlights ongoing issues around rural connectivity, affordability, digital skills, and the need for resilient, future-focused infrastructure. "We have made huge progress as a nation, but to close the remaining gaps, we need more targeted investment, strong partnerships, and a long-term vision," Young said. The report also points to the importance of community-driven solutions, digital literacy, and raising awareness about digital exclusion. "What we heard at the summit is that collaboration between government, industry, and communities is key," he said. "The practical solutions are there, but we need the will and the resources to implement them." Young said the focus should be on strengthening rural connectivity, making the internet affordable for everyone and exploring emerging technologies and innovative solutions. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Lack of phone signal is all anyone talks about'
"Unforeseen technical issues" have been causing continuing mobile phone service issues in some rural areas of County Tyrone for almost a month. Local representatives say it has mostly been affecting Mid Ulster's Torrent electoral district in areas such as Coalisland and Clonoe. Members of the community say that areas, which already had poor reception, were in some cases, "complete blackspots with no signal". The problems have been linked to planned upgrade works on a service site that is hosted by O2, but is also used by a number of other mobile phone companies. O2 said the upgrade works in the area were to ensure "fast and reliable connectivity to customers". An O2 spokesperson said, due to "unforeseen technical issues" the work had taken longer than planned. In a statement on its website on Friday evening O2 said it had "completed some improvement work" in the area and that it would continue to "keep a close eye on the network to make sure everything's working as it should". SDLP councillor Malachy Quinn lives in the Washingbay area of County Tyrone. On Friday night he said that while he welcomed confirmation of improvement works, he still had reports of network problems in the area. He said: "It is clear from speaking to residents across my area that many people - particularly those living in more rural and isolated areas - are still experiencing persistent problems with poor or unreliable mobile signal. "In 2025, it should not be too much to ask for people to have consistent access to calls and data, no matter where they live." It is understood the issues were first reported at the end of May. It was raised at a meeting of Mid Ulster District Council last month by independent councillor Dan Kerr. He called for a meeting with the different major mobile networks. During the meeting council chief executive, Adrian McCreesh, stated: "I've [heard] from a number of members around this chamber in recent days about the behaviour of some of our companies, and the lack of ability for people to get connected." Mr McCreesh confirmed he would be organising a meeting with some of the mobile phone companies operating in the areas of Mid Ulster that had continuous reports of poor signal. Brian Kerr owns a barber shop in the Clonoe Village Business Park. He said: "It's all the customers who come into the shop this past while have been talking about, the fact that the phone signal has somehow managed to get worse, and it was already poor. "At my own house, you have to leave the house and go to the top of the driveway to get any signal at all and even then it's patchy." He added: "Something needs to be done about it long-term, because it's affecting a lot of people, not only socially, but they rely on decent phone signal for their businesses as well." Linda Dillon is a Sinn Fein MLA who lives in the Clonoe area and is calling for the issue to be resolved. She said: "Signal problems have lasted a month, and it's caused problems with parents looking to contact their children when they're out and things like that. "A big part of the problem is trying to get information from the phone companies, the communication to the people on the ground and elected representatives has been very poor, which is bad from communication companies." She added: "Unfortunately there are places in this area, like Derrylaughan, that always have had poor signal, but this time it has been more widespread. "At the end of the day it is an equality issue, rural areas should have access to phone signal the same as people living in urban areas." In 2021, three mobile phone networks agreed a deal to build and share masts to improve 4G in rural parts of Northern Ireland. The project was part of the UK government's £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, external, aimed at improving rural internet access. The issue of phone signal has been in the news recently following a series of arson attacks on 5G masts in west Belfast. During a recent debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly about the attacks, DUP MLA Deborah Erskine condemned the incidents but also pointed to the phone signal issues that impact rural communities all year round. Speaking in the assembly, the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said: "I would love to have 4G in my area, never mind 5G, and to see improvements made to masts and infrastructure. "Such improvements are needed, not just in west Belfast, but throughout Northern Ireland." In a statement about the connectivity issues in County Tyrone, O2 said: "While these upgrades will lead to improvements in the longer term, we apologise to customers who may have experienced intermittent service issues whilst the works are completed." Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Vodafone said: "We're sorry to our customers who are affected by issues with their services. "Our infrastructure partner is aware of the network issues due to planned work on a mast in the area and is working hard to restore services." Phone networks agree rural 4G coverage boost Frustration for residents as phone signal buckles after 5G mast arsons
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Starlink's bid for South Africa entry: Public still has time to weigh in on EEIP policy
In a previous article published in March, I examined Starlink's plans to enter the South African market and its dispute with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), the country's telecoms regulator. The dispute relates to licensing requirements under the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005, which mandates that 30% of equity in licensed entities be held by historically disadvantaged South Africans, and is part of the country's Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy. Image source: Freepik Starlink argued that its global policy does not allow for dilution of ownership, and that the 30% local shareholding requirement hinders foreign investment in South Africa. As an alternative, Starlink has proposed equity equivalent investment programmes (EEIPs), which have received support from the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, but not yet from Icasa. Public hearings This situation reflects broader tensions between promoting foreign investment and technological advancement, especially for rural connectivity, and upholding local transformation policies. Starlink's potential entry could also disrupt local telecommunications competition. In February 2025, Icasa held public hearings on a proposed new satellite licensing framework and received over 50 written submissions. SpaceX, Starlink's parent company, submitted written input but withdrew from the oral hearings. Icasa is reviewing all submissions and has indicated a willingness to find balanced regulatory solutions that support innovation and inclusivity. Although Starlink withdrew from making oral submissions at Icasa's public hearings in early February, its arguments appear to have been both heard and seriously considered. As mentioned in the previous article, the written representations by Starlink included support for EEIPs as an alternative to the 30% local shareholding requirement, stating that it will attract foreign investment in South Africa. A mere three months after holding the public hearings, the Minister has issued a new proposed policy direction offering alternatives to the 30% local shareholding requirement. The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003 and ICT Sector Codes acknowledge the fact that some multinational companies have policies and practices which prevent them from having previously disadvantaged South African shareholders. Even though these multinationals cannot offer shareholding to qualifying South Africans, the Codes make provision for contributions to be recognised through EEIPs instead of a direct sale of an entity's shares. EEIPs EEIPs refer to public or private initiatives established to meet the ownership requirements of the B-BBEE framework. These programmes may also focus on investment or other initiatives that contribute to socioeconomic development within the South African economy. This can take the form of investing in infrastructure in rural areas, enterprise and skills development, job creation, as well as research and innovation. To be eligible for ownership points on the B-BBEE scorecard, such programmes must receive approval from the Minister of Trade and Industry. Once approved, the EEIPs and the associated ownership points cannot be applied to any other element of the multinational's B-BBEE scorecard. The value of the EEIP contributions can be measured against 25% of the value of the multinational's South African operations or may be measured against 4% of the total revenue from its South African operations annually throughout continued measurement. This new policy sees a shift in Icasa's stance regarding foreign investment. The Minister stated that this new policy was essential to attract investment, particularly in strategic infrastructure, and to drive innovation in the communications industry. It also aims to enhance competition in the information and communications technology sector and to support, enable, and align efforts to achieve the goals set out in the law. Despite the policy, it is clear that the commitment to transformation has remained the goal. The policy is still open for public comment until 7 July 2025. Only time will tell whether these EEIPs deliver meaningful returns to the B-BBEE beneficiaries, much like the 30% ownership requirement aimed to do, while unlocking greater foreign investment in South Africa's telecommunications sector. For now, the message from the government seems promising, but will the signal be clear?
Zawya
17-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Vodacom to invest $5.6mln in 106 new rural base stations across KZN
Vodacom will invest approximately R100m to build 106 new base station sites in deep rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. This aims to connect hundreds of thousands of people who have been excluded from the digital age. The deployment will help bridge significant digital divides in remote KwaZulu-Natal and promote digital inclusion. The new sites will be rolled out across 11 district municipalities, including Amajuba, eThekwini, Harry Gwala, iLembe, King Cetshwayo, Ugu, Umgungundlovu, uMzinyathi, Uthukela, Zululand, uMhlabuyalingana, uMfolozi, uMlalazi, uMsinga, uMzumbe, uMgeni, Ray Nkonyeni, Mandeni, eNdumeni, eDumbe, Msunduzi, Newcastle and Nqutu. This forms part of Vodacom's Rural Coverage Acceleration Programme, aimed at expanding network coverage in deep rural South Africa, complementing previous efforts to improve infrastructure outside urban areas. GSMA research highlights that high-speed broadband availability is critical for rural development, yet many rural communities lag behind in connectivity. Roughly half the world's population, about 4 billion people, lack internet access and are excluded from its socio-economic benefits. Imran Khan, managing executive for Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal, said: "Ensuring network connectivity in deep rural areas is fundamental to Vodacom's commitment to connect everyone, whether in urban centres, townships or rural locations. We aim to remove barriers and empower rural and township communities to enjoy the same network experience as metropolitan areas, enabling them to benefit from the digital economy." Broadband penetration drives economic and social growth. A World Bank study shows that a 10 percentage point increase in fixed broadband penetration can increase GDP growth by 1.21% in developed economies and 1.38% in developing ones. Internet access will enable rural communities to utilise services such as e-health, e-education, and e-commerce. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
