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Faster broadband pledge by UK internet minister as rural projects announced
09 Jun 2010 | 12.49 Europe/London
Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, yesterday announced that the coalition government is to set up three trial rural broadband projects to ascertain how far flung communities can enjoy fast broadband.
There was very little detail about the three rural projects which Hunt is promising will be unveiled in the middle of July.
Instead, yesterday’s London speech concentrated on dismissing the approaching 2Mbp/s universal service commitment by 2012 as ‘paltry’ and promising that while aiming to hit this, at the very least, the government would also be encouraging the roll out of ‘superfast broadband’.
The minister set no targets, but reiterated the government’s twin strategy of funding 2Mbp/s through money left over from the BBC’s digital switchover fund and forcing BT and other infrastructure providers to open up their ducts to allow fibre providers to share existing capacity and avoid the cost of digging up roads. The latter policy is currently being developed by Ofcom and, Hunt reminded, could be backed up by legislation if possible.
Fast broadband spurs growth
Broadband, Hunt declared, is a vital part of boosting Britain’s economy.
“It is a scandal that nearly 3 million households in this country still cannot access 2 Mbps broadband speeds, and less than 1% of the country is able to access the internet using modern fibre optic technology – compared to an OECD average of around 10%,” he said.
“Superfast broadband is not simply about doing the same things faster. It’s about doing totally new things – creating a platform on which a whole generation of new businesses can thrive.
“The Federation of Small Businesses has estimated that a superfast network could add £18 billion to GDP and create 60,000 jobs. NESTA thinks it could be ten times that – 600,000 new jobs.”
Rural broadband details needed
While this would have gone down well with those calling on the government to encourage a more aggressive roll out of fibre, it did little more than whet the appetite for campaigners who are eager to avoid rural communities receiving poor quality connections while urban areas are increasingly targeted for fibre.
CLA President William Worsley said: “This is undoubtedly a big step in the right direction for rural broadband, and we look forward to receiving more information on how and where the three rural broadband projects announced by Mr Hunt will be carried out.
“We are greatly encouraged by the Ministers publicly committing themselves to a universal service commitment of two megabits a second by 2012 and by Mr Hunt’s admission that it is a ‘scandal’ that nearly three million households in Britain cannot access this broadband speed and only one percent of the country has access to fibre optic-delivered broadband.”
“Rural businesses will only survive and thrive if this Government wastes no time in putting its good intentions on rural broadband into practice.”
There was very little detail about the three rural projects which Hunt is promising will be unveiled in the middle of July.
Instead, yesterday’s London speech concentrated on dismissing the approaching 2Mbp/s universal service commitment by 2012 as ‘paltry’ and promising that while aiming to hit this, at the very least, the government would also be encouraging the roll out of ‘superfast broadband’.
The minister set no targets, but reiterated the government’s twin strategy of funding 2Mbp/s through money left over from the BBC’s digital switchover fund and forcing BT and other infrastructure providers to open up their ducts to allow fibre providers to share existing capacity and avoid the cost of digging up roads. The latter policy is currently being developed by Ofcom and, Hunt reminded, could be backed up by legislation if possible.
Fast broadband spurs growth
Broadband, Hunt declared, is a vital part of boosting Britain’s economy.
“It is a scandal that nearly 3 million households in this country still cannot access 2 Mbps broadband speeds, and less than 1% of the country is able to access the internet using modern fibre optic technology – compared to an OECD average of around 10%,” he said.
“Superfast broadband is not simply about doing the same things faster. It’s about doing totally new things – creating a platform on which a whole generation of new businesses can thrive.
“The Federation of Small Businesses has estimated that a superfast network could add £18 billion to GDP and create 60,000 jobs. NESTA thinks it could be ten times that – 600,000 new jobs.”
Rural broadband details needed
While this would have gone down well with those calling on the government to encourage a more aggressive roll out of fibre, it did little more than whet the appetite for campaigners who are eager to avoid rural communities receiving poor quality connections while urban areas are increasingly targeted for fibre.
CLA President William Worsley said: “This is undoubtedly a big step in the right direction for rural broadband, and we look forward to receiving more information on how and where the three rural broadband projects announced by Mr Hunt will be carried out.
“We are greatly encouraged by the Ministers publicly committing themselves to a universal service commitment of two megabits a second by 2012 and by Mr Hunt’s admission that it is a ‘scandal’ that nearly three million households in Britain cannot access this broadband speed and only one percent of the country has access to fibre optic-delivered broadband.”
“Rural businesses will only survive and thrive if this Government wastes no time in putting its good intentions on rural broadband into practice.”