How improved broadband in East Anglia will benefit online casino players

Source: Pexels

The arrival of the internet into all of our lives has been a boon in many ways. It’s never been so easy, or so quick, to do everything from finding out vital information to booking a train ticket.

However, for all of its benefits, it is something that has also helped to divide the nation into two parts. In one there is easy access to the high-speed broadband that effective use of the internet depends on. In the other, connection speeds are slow and not fit for purpose.

It’s generally large urban areas that benefit from the best internet access. But, as a largely rural region, many parts of the east of England have lagged behind somewhat. In a survey in 2019, 57% of those interviewed declared that they were frustrated with their internet access with 16% saying it was an issue on a daily basis.

One group that may be particularly adversely affected are fans of online casinos. Games like online blackjack rely on fast, reliable internet connections if they are to deliver the best gaming experience. This is particularly true of the “live” version of the game now offered by many online casinos. This involves an actual game being streamed live to a player in real-time and gives the feeling of playing in a real casino. Other live games like roulette and baccarat are also available in the live online casino, and even the ever-popular online slots still need a good internet connection if players are to enjoy them to the full.

Of course, it’s not simply these armchair players who regard poor internet connections as a major inconvenience. In another survey it was found that 9% of people in the region would consider internet failure for day to be a major frustration while only 5% would feel the same if their central heating broke down. And, for 3%, the car failing to start would be a similar disappointment.

But there is good news for all those East Anglians who have been feeling short-changed by their broadband service providers, and it’s with us already.

“Hunstanton” (CC BY-SA 2.0) image by Loz Flowers

Since Summer 2020, East Anglia has been identified by Openreach as a high priority area to receive full-fibre broadband in many parts. Initially, a number of specific population centres have been earmarked for the upgrade including Caister-on-Sea, King’s Lynn, Hunstanton and Haverhill. This is also set to dovetail with another initiative called Better Broadband for Norfolk, a multi-million pound partnership between Norfolk County Council, DEFRA, BT and The Department of Culture Media and Sport.

It’s estimated that this is going to mean the possibility of speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps which is around 18 times faster than the national average. Looking to the future, it is believed that a ten-fold increase up to 10,000 Mbps may also be possible.

So it does seem like the east of England is set to emerge from the dark ages broadband-wise. And for online casino enthusiasts, and many others too, this surely can’t come soon enough.