BROADBAND providers could be forced to offer people in rural areas the same high-speed Internet as those in towns and cities when the Government outlines its digital media vision this week.

Public money could also be used to invest in cabling and infrastructure to ensure every part of the country benefits.

It follows warnings from MPs and Gordon Brown's own rural advisor that communities in the countryside risk being on the "wrong side of the digital divide".

Many Westcountry businesses have complained of difficulties in accessing high-speed broadband. It has been a particular problem for hi-tech new media firms, which often relocate to Devon and Cornwall for lifestyle reasons and then find they are unable to transfer large files or access data quickly.

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Steve Tomkinson, director of Plymouth digital marketing agency Numo Group, warned earlier this month that unreliable Internet connections can shatter the "work from home" ideal that attracts many people to the Westcountry.

Communications minister Lord Carter has hinted at beefing up the obligation on firms to give better web access.

He has insisted there needs to be "finally fairness and access for all" and stressed "digital infrastructure is important for our economic development".

He highlighted countries including Portugal and Australia, which are already planning to use taxpayers' money to invest in broadband infrastructure, in recognition of the potential economic benefits.

Such a move could be a major boost for rural areas. The Government's recent Living, Working Countryside review – carried out by Truro and St Austell MP Matthew Taylor – highlighted problems caused by inaccessible technology.

Mr Taylor found broadband and new ways of working "make it ever easier for an urban-based workforce to move to the countryside and commute from rural villages or work from home".

But, while a larger proportion of homes in the countryside have access to broadband compared to urban areas, "connection speeds are slower in rural areas because existing broadband technology is less efficient in sparsely populated areas". He said a solution to the problem was "urgently needed".

The next generation of superfast broadband is being rolled out by BT and Virgin Media, but they are expected to cover only half of the UK's households, concentrating on urban areas where commercial operations will be more profitable without public-sector money.

The Commission for Rural Communities is campaigning for greater recognition of the risks associated with remote areas being left behind in the race for faster broadband.

Its chairman, Dr Stuart Burgess, the Prime Minister's rural advocate, warned: "The future of broadband in rural communities is a serious issue.

"Ensuring they are not left out of plans for future generation broadband is critical.

"There are also important economic factors at play – for example, farmers will have little incentive to redevelop redundant buildings for offices, retail or leisure use if suitable broadband isn't available."

Lord Carter's interim report on Digital Britain is expected this week, and will examine the role of Government in providing access to broadband to ensure people who live in remote areas.

Speaking ahead of its publication, Lord Carter said: "In our fixed networks, I think we are going to get to a point where we will require an acceptable minimum standard of service to everyone."

He said this would be achieved in part through the provision of "next-generation high-speed capacity".

Defra is also working to "ensure that rural areas are taken into account in broadband policy development".

It has been involved in setting up a study into "communities likely to be left behind as the next generation of broadband rolls out".

"This will also identify the existing 'not spot' areas and identify possible solutions for action at community level."