Broadband is essential if economies in rural parts of the UK are to expand, one campaigner has said.

Providing rural broadband services to South Wales is not only important from an economic perspective, but will also have an impact on the quality of life for people living in the region.

This is according to Deb Wozencraft, spokeswoman for the Campaign for the Rural Protection of Wales, who said that broadband access in some parts of the country is currently "hit and miss".

Speaking to the Western Mail, she said: "The degradation of rural services is just making it more and more difficult for people to exist in rural Wales.

"Look at young people and how they rely on the internet for all their social networking."

Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams also told the newspaper said it is "vital" to plug the gaps in broadband coverage across Wales.

However, he said he welcomed plans form the government to use mobile and satellite broadband technologies to provide access in rural areas.

These comments follow suggestions that it may prove too expensive to provide next-generation fixed network services in some areas of the UK.