Shropshire Council is carrying out a major piece of research to find out which parts of the county are most affected by poor broadband capability and to determine the impact this is having on both individual businesses and the wider Shropshire economy.

The council is encouraging anyone who runs a business in Shropshire to take part in the consultation and have a say about broadband in the county.

Between 2004 and 2007, Switch on Shropshire - a European Rural Regeneration funded programme - brought broadband connection to all of Shropshire and promoted the take-up of broadband and e-commerce amongst business and within communities.

Despite this it appears that the county still has significant difficulties with the quality of its broadband capability, and Shropshire Council has been approached by many companies who are experiencing problems and are unable to use broadband as a reliable business tool.

David Roberts, Shropshire Council's Cabinet member for local environment and economy said: "Electronic communications play an extremely important part in today's business world, with most companies relying on the internet and email to operate efficiently. However, there is a very real danger that rural communities will be left even further behind as the latest fibre optic technology is rolled out to cities and towns.  We are keen to find out if Shropshire is keeping up with the very latest technological innovations and urge local businesses to tell us their views and experiences as part of this consultation."

Shropshire Council would like to hear from anyone who runs a business in Shropshire.

An online questionnaire can be found on the council website, at www.shropshire.gov.uk/economicdevelopment.nsf

Alternatively, people can email businessvision@shropshire.gov.uk or call 01743 252598 to request either a postal or email questionnaire.