Pictured above: David Collier

Business Voice WM has stepped up its campaign to get broadband access to rural areas.

It has written to Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey asking him to intervene.

It is also sending a delegation to London to lobby regulator Ofcom on the matter.

BVWM wants the Minister to bust through EU red tape.

Telecoms providers have stated that the rate of return in providing broadband access to outlying rural areas is too low for consideration.

But, with the help of Euro MP Malcolm Harbour a push to amend Directive 2002/22/EC on universal service and users' rights was successful.

However, the new rules have to be transposed into national laws and that need not happen until May 2011.

It is now up to Mr Vaizey to decide how flexible the interpretation of the new Directive should be.

In his letter David Collier, a BVWM board member and National Farmers Union regional director, asked him to intervene "to ensure Ofcom can use its powers to ensure broadband coverage is available in all rural areas".

He went on: "We need to ensure that rural businesses, such as those on the border with Wales, can survive and thrive and help create local employment opportunities. Businesses in many sectors cannot be truly secure without access to broadband due to the development of e-commerce and related IT management tools.

"The economic viability of many rural communities is becoming more precarious from day to day due to the lack of broadband coverage. We are conscious also that the two megabits standard is too low for some purposes, and that many businesses require much higher speeds, for both downloading and uploading.

"We would ask you to urgently consider taking the necessary legislative action to enable Ofcom to ensure telecom firms provide broadband coverage to outlying rural areas."