The CLA President and Yorkshire Landowner, William Worsley, said:

"The CLA has long recognised the growing importance of communicating digitally and aims to help rural areas get up to speed with their urban counterparts. However, the lack of a suitable broadband connection makes it nearly impossible for rural businesses and communities to communicate.

Ofcom’s first interactive broadband map published last week shows that more than 16% of homes in Yorkshire are unable to receive the Government's benchmark of two Megabits per second (Mb/ps). Residents and businesses here, along with many other rural communities across the UK, are constrained in the use of social media.

If rural areas cannot connect because there is no broadband, they are unable to benefit from new technologies such as Twitter and Facebook. The divide will widen, leading to uncompetitive rural businesses and socially-excluded rural communities. The countryside sees the enormous advantages of social media but is frustrated that it cannot play a part."