More people living in rural areas are able to access the internet than last year, but they are still at a disadvantage to people in cities, an expert has claimed.
Helen Milner, managing director of UK online centres, which provides access to computers, said that a digital divide still separates the UK.
Her comments come after a report from PayPal, which found that 94 per cent of people in the countryside now do their shopping online and are able to use online bidding sites.
It also discovered that 42 per cent of people in rural areas do more internet shopping than last year.
However, Ms Milner said that more needs to be done to improve access: “The internet can save people time, hassle, and even money, and everyone should have an equal chance and an equal choice to access those benefits, and make use of those services.”
The expert said that going on the internet and using websites, such as online bidding sites, can help to make people more confident, more able to plan travel and better informed on news.