8. Internet access? in the UK

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I travel a lot. A running joke between my European friends is that they can deduce I am in UK by the observation that I get cut off when attempting stunts such as phone, Skype or WhatsApp calls from my mobile. After the call drops for the 2nd time, my interlocutor enquires, knowingly: ‘Are you in UK?’. It seems funny, but it is not. 
Internet access is basic to productivity in a modern society, and its lack seriously damages the prosperity and competitiveness of the UK economy. Remote places in every corner of the World have better internet access than Heathrow T5 C gates, South Gloucestershire or West Berkshire. I wonder whether this is a consequence of UK planning permission rules and the fact that we all want mobile internet access, but nobody wants mobile masts near their home, a real problem given population density especially in England. This British approach to collective issues is similar to wanting a health service without paying tax, or EU benefits without membership

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