Tooway says rural communities given false hope on fibre broadband

Rural residents and businesses are being given the wrong impression about when they will gain access to fibre optic broadband services, according to Tooway Direct.

Andrew Walwyn, managing director of the satellite broadband firm, told V3 it is "highly frustrating" that consumers living away from the UK's towns and cities are being given false hope about the availability of super-fast broadband.

"Time and time again people in rural areas are constantly misled with promises about services that will be arriving 'soon' - whether it's fibre broadband or 4G," he said.

The Tooway chief called for greater honesty from within the industry, arguing that in reality it is not financially viable to connect customers in these locations.

His comments come in the wake of a report from the House of Lords Communications Committee that criticised the government's super-fast broadband strategy, warning many communities could be left lagging behind.

Instead of focusing on speeds, the coalition should aim to eradicate the digital divide between urban and rural locations, the report argued.