PARTS of Dorset are an "electronic desert" living in the Dark Ages as far as communications is concerned, it has been claimed.

Only one third of North Dorset can get broadband, there's no channel Five and Mongolia gets better mobile reception, it is claimed.

District council leader David Whitehead said: "I find it rather strange that I was able to talk to a councillor who happened to be in Outer Mongolia by mobile phone, yet in the Tarrant valley my mobile won't work.

"One of the things we know is that we have got transport problems which leads to rural exclusion.

"We need access to channel Five and broadband in our village halls if we want to do more to develop things and actually run training classes.

"It would be much better than travelling to market towns - elderly people won't do that."

The irony of the Royal School of Signals being in the district is not lost on Cllr Whitehead.

"Look at what we have sitting up at Blandford Camp," he said.

"It's a centre of excellence for defence, yet down in the streets and valley roads of North Dorset we're still in the Dark Ages."

Cllr Frank Spencer said North Dorset residents were missing out because they could not receive digital terrestrial channels, which included Freeview CNN, BBC World and Discovery as well as Five.

Money was poured into Cornwall and the Highlands and Islands to make sure they were served because they were seen as disadvantaged while North Dorset was falling behind, he said.

Inigo Wilson for Orange said the quality of reception depended upon the number of masts and that planning permission was always being turned down - but a planning officer from North Dorset said the vast majority of such applications were approved. A computer check turned up one refusal in the last three years.

A spokeswoman for Five confirmed there were still areas which couldn't receive the channel.

"This is regrettable, but, for technical reasons, is outside our control," she added."

A BT spokesman said every resident in Dorset would be able to get broadband by next summer.

So far no wholesale attack has been made on phone boxes in the district but one at Hazelbury Bryan is currently under threat.

First published: August 24