05 Jun 2009

Broadband 'now critical to the majority of the UK'

E-commerce businesses who may find their workers in internet "notspots" could benefit from deploying Hosted Exchange services from a provider such as Microsoft.

A new report from the Communications Consumer Panel has revealed that broadband is becoming increasingly critical to the lives of Britons, many of whom are frustrated by speeds that fall below 2Mbps.

Nearly three-quarters of individuals questioned said that fast internet speeds have become a must and ISP Review noted that 81 per cent of people think that everyone has a right to broadband in the home.

Chair of the Communications Consumer Panel Anna Bradley told the BBC: "[Broadband] is being compared by consumers to gas and electricity - things which they think we all ought to have access to, almost as a right."

However, the BBC recently reported that up to three million UK homes had access to internet slower than 2Mbps and this affects city commuter belts as well as rural areas.

Businesses which rely on remote employees to support operations may find that the Microsoft Hosted Exchange solutions could provide reliable Mobile Email, Email Archival and Hosted Exchange Email.