Participants sought for Ceredigion digital connectivity study

Researchers have put out a call for residents to contribute to a new study into the effects of poor internet connections on rural communities.

Building on a major study into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on households and businesses in Ceredigion published last year, the team from Aberystwyth Business School are seeking contributors for focus groups that will be held at the University in September 2024.

Dr Aloysius Igboekwu, Senior Lecturer in Finance at Aberystwyth Business School, was one of the authors of the 2023 reports and is behind the new study into the inadequacy of the digital infrastructure in Ceredigion.

Challenges

He said: “The issues around internet provision, digital proficiency and availability of adequate digital infrastructure featured prominently in our survey responses to the COVID-19 studies. We are now looking for people from Ceredigion to take part in two focus groups at the University so we can explore these findings in greater detail and get a better understanding of the challenges facing households and businesses today.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant change in people’s lives, with people becoming much more dependent on connectivity for things like education. Our aim is for this new work to inform policy decisions that will benefit those living in rural communities in a world that will only become more reliant on good digital communication networks for everything, from commerce to education and health provision, and so much more”

Poor digital accessibility

According to the authors of the 2023 reports into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on households, nearly half of the respondents reported slow broadband speeds, poor digital accessibility and connectivity issues exacerbated the stress and anxiety experienced by residents.

Commenting at the time, Dr Igboekwu said: “Providing better access to digital infrastructure across the county would have benefited both households and businesses during the pandemic.”

Prospective participants wishing to contribute to the new study ‘Digital Connectivity in Peripheral Areas’ are asked to register for the sessions by completing an online questionnaire.

Dr Igboekwu will be working on the study with Dr Sarah Lindop, Senior Lecturer in Finance and Dr Maria Plotnikova, Lecturer in Economics at Aberystwyth Business School who also contributed to the 2023 studies into the effects of COVID-19 on businesses and households in Ceredigion.