SmallBusinessNewz

One week ago, the BBC published the results of a survey showing that 79 percent of adults worldwide view Internet access as a fundamental right (the figure was 75 percent in the UK).  This may give the Federation of Small Businesses a strong leg to stand on as it pushes for better broadband service for small firms.

Without the ability to access email and/or a website, a small business owner can be cut off from a huge number of customers.  Slow connections can interfere with a business's ability to be efficient and appear professional, too.

These facts make the following information, which the FSB shared late last week, important: "[F]igures from the FSB-ICM survey of 1,300 small firms shows that a quarter (24%) of respondents are dissatisfied with their broadband service."

Also, "Of those small firms that are dissatisfied, six in 10 (63%) said they are unhappy with the speed and reliability of their internet connection supplied by their service provider. . . .  Another 30 per cent said the area they live in has an unreliable broadband connection . . ."

So the FSB is asking the government to make sure ISPs guarantee a connection speed of at least 8 Mb/s.  The FSB would prefer a more comprehensive telecommunications ombudsman's remit, and a more involved competition authority, as well.