IT'S only in Europe's second tier parliament where issues like poor internet connection in Scarva or the Birches can be publicly and vigorously debated with elected representatives from every corner of the EU.
The digital divide in rural areas was among a range of grassroots issues brought before the European Committee of the Regions at its latest plenary session in Brussels.
And it was claimed during the exchanges that large internet providers in many EU countries are picking and choosing the areas for coverage where it is most profitable for them, and are focussing on the so-called "last mile".
A recommendation was carried to bring a local and regional perspective to the EU's 'Action for Smart Villages' initiative launched earlier this year, but the CoR believes extra work is needed now if the scheme is to be "sustainable and effective" by 2021, when the EU's next budget begins.
The digital issue was raised in Brussels in an opinion brought forward by Enda Stenson, who represents the rural county of Leitrim.
He said: "People in this assembly won't know the wee place I live, where you turn on your internet then make a cup of tea and go to the toilet and then just hope it's open when you get back. That's no way to live in this modern internet era.
"Nine in ten households without fixed broadband are in rural areas, and that is just one element in the imbalance in digital services for people like me.
"This digital divide is a fundamental threat to balanced and sustainable economic development as well as to social solidarity.
"Without decent broadband, some of the greatest, urgent threats to rural life – a loss of jobs, depopulation, and ageing – will only worsen."
He added: "Europe needs people in its countryside, developing new businesses and manning traditional industries like farming. The provision of broadband to local communities should legally be recognised as a service of public interest.
"We want the EU to follow the example of Finland and Switzerland by guaranteeing services down to the last mile. Failing that, at the very least we need to make sure that rural issues are factored into decision-making much more.
"We already have a 'smart city' model, but we now need a rural equivalent and get to a point where cities and rural areas are thought of at the same time. Urban and rural areas are complementary."
In the debate which followed, the opinion was supported from the floor by Arnold Hatch, an alderman on Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Council.
He said: "If members haven't heard of Mr Stenson's home in Leitrim, they'll certainly not know places like the Birches or Richhill, Scarva or Loughgall. But here, farmers are forced to go to the library to do their returns for the Department."
The CoR recommendations call for efforts to reduce the market dominance of "legacy providers" of IT services to rural areas, for EU-funded training to improve "digital literacy" (particularly of older inhabitants), for targeted support for existing rural employers (with farmers a "priority group"), and for initiatives to boost rural entrepreneurship.
The current failure to provide full last-mile services increases the importance, it says, of 'digital hubs' in rural areas, an idea being developed in some member states.
Hubs reduce the digital divide, but also revitalise village centres, provide jobs, offer training opportunities and could act as "anchors" for e-services, such as e-health, e-lawyering, e-governance, and e-commerce.
