UK internet service providers (ISPs) should be forced to make better web services available in rural areas, according to one business voice.

Speaking to the Western Mail, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Wales said broadband providers must be contracted to offer an extended network in order to gain access to high-profitability areas such as the south-east of England.

FSB spokesperson Russell Lawson said ISPs should be made to commit some kind of resources to areas blighted by poor connectivity and low speeds.

He added: "They've pretty much abandoned everywhere apart from the lucrative areas and left the taxpayer to try and pick up the tab."

Commenting on the suggestion, a spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills told the news provider that the aim of the 50p-a-month broadband tax is to fund network upgrades in the countryside.

However, it is debatable whether this levy will ever be introduced, with the Commons Business Committee this week urging the government to scrap the landline charge, and the Conservative Party fiercely critical of its conception.