Recommendation 18

Changes in ways of working during the pandemic have led to far greater levels of working from home, in urban and rural areas. This has doubtless reduced commuter car usage in rural areas in particular. Home working can therefore contribute to meeting net zero goals. High quality internet and mobile connectivity are nevertheless a prerequisite for home working to be sustained after the pandemic, and must therefore be considered as an essential utility. Access to reliable mobile signal, and fast and reliable broadband, must now be guaranteed as a priority.