Broadband investment key to closing digital divide says study

High-speed broadband will be a key factor in the growth of public service broadcasting, according to a think tank. In a report published today, the Social Market Foundation suggested that funding earmarked for public service broadcasting should be diverted to ensure comprehensive broadband coverage across the UK. The economic and social policy think tank said that investing in high-speed broadband would improve Britain’s broadband infrastructure and help lessen the digital divide.

The report, which examined the relationship between technology and broadcasting, was funded by the BBC and Five. It argued that broadcasting policy needs to reflect a wider audience and focus more on the wider communications sector, including broadband, rather than exclusively on the television sector. Investing in broadband technologies would bring faster internet connections to more people, thus encouraging generation of more diverse content.

Senior Researcher at the Social Market Foundation, Jessica Prendergrast, said that while the existence of public service broadcasters such as the BBC was essential, it was “equally important” that the government “ensure widespread access to high-speed broadband as a top priority, just as it once prioritised access to analogue TV.”

Meanwhile the former chairman of the BBC, Gavyn Davies OBE, said that the findings indicated that terrestrial channels such as Five and ITV should be relieved of their public service obligations in order to concentrate on improving their commercial output. He also concluded that the arrival of cable, satellite and digital, on-demand television was just “a minor revolution compared to the arrival of broadband, which enables users to access content where and when they choose, and to access moving images, data, sound and communication simultaneously.”

Looking ahead through the next ten years, the report predicted, “In all scenarios, new distribution platforms battle for supremacy and challenge the status quo, there is substantial growth in consumers accessing content online, and consumer expectations will demand new modes of interaction and engagement.”

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