Many rural communities are several miles from a telephone exchange - too far for high-speed broadband to work - while satellite connection for high-speed access is very expensive and carries the risk of added technical problems.

BBC: High speed rural broadband hope

On April 5th John Hutton, the work and pensions secretary, announced plans to test telephone-based technology to spot potential benefit cheats.

ECONOMIST: Polygraphs hit the big time

After holding a three-way telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Jacques Chirac to work out a common position on this issue, Mr Schroeder said it was important that "as far as possible" unity in the Security Council should be maintained.

BBC: Jacques Chirac, Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schroeder

"I personally hope that Livestrong is stronger than Lance Armstrong because they have done -- and continue to do -- amazing work for people with cancer, " he told CNN in a telephone interview.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Banners (often hidden behind at-work listeners' spreadsheets and documents) back up audio ads with, for example, telephone numbers or links to the advertisers' sites.

ECONOMIST: How well is net radio fulfilling its early promise?

Yet there is clearly a huge opportunity, given the gap between the quality of Internet access most Americans enjoy at work (through high-speed direct connections) and at home (through a copper telephone wire).

ECONOMIST: Cable television

So councils must arrange expensive meal-deliveries, while asylum-seekers, who are not allowed to work, are denied even the small change they need to telephone a lawyer.

ECONOMIST: Asylum-seekers