Broadband “indispensable” for Digital Britain
by Dean Evans at Tuesday 16th June, 2009 at 8:27 am [0 comments]
Ahead of today’s Digital Britain report, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has outlined the importance of broadband to UK consumers, calling it “as indispensable as electricity, gas and water.”
Writing in The Times, Brown says that: “the digital revolution is changing all our lives beyond recognition and today we shall set out how Britain must change with it.”
10Mb Broadband for all?
“The first step must be to make the existing broadband network truly available to all,” Brown suggests. “Just as we remain committed to a universal postal service, we pledge today to give every home, community and company access to broadband internet.”
The aim is to ensure that everyone in the UK has access to a 10Mb broadband connection. But without a national fibreoptic network (and no concrete plan to actually build one), the reality will be somewhat slower and closer to 2Mb.
The big stumbling block? Quite simple - who’s going to pay for it?
“Digital Britain cannot be a two-tier Britain,” warns Brown, “with those who can take full advantage of being online and those who can’t.”
The Digital Britain report was commissioned to address the issues of future communications and technology convergence.
The report aims to develop a strategy for a fully digital Britain and covers the following areas:
- Next generation networks
- Universal access to broadband
- The creation of a second public service provider of scale
- The modernisation of wireless radio spectrum holdings
- A digital future for radio
- A new deal for digital content rights
- Enhancing the digital delivery of public services
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