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Digital Britain report outlines universal broadband plans
Friday 30th January 2009, by Daniel King
Plans outlined in the communications minister's Digital Britain report yesterday will ensure that every home in the UK is able to access faster and more reliable broadband services.
As expected, Lord Carter outlined proposals to create universal broadband availability across the country by 2012.
Under the plans, all households and businesses in Britain will be entitled to broadband speeds of up to 2Mbps - a service which will be delivered "by a mixture of fixed and mobile, wired and wireless means".
The report has been eagerly anticipated by broadband users and industry officials over the last few weeks, with many sources keen to point out the benefits of universal access for the UK's economy.
Prime minister Gordon Brown said the digital plans would prove "essential" to the future prosperity of the country.
"Our digital networks will be the backbone of our economy in the decades ahead," he declared.
The plans will enable access to residents and businesses in rural locations where broadband availability has been limited, allowing users to take advantage of speeds that are fast enough to watch videos online.
However, the report was dismissed in some quarters as failing to show sufficient ambition.
Shadow culture Jeremy Hunt told the Times the commitment to provide speeds of 2Mbps across the UK was disappointing.
"Given that the national average access speed is 3.6 megabits, isn't the scale of the government's ambitions pitifully low?" he questioned.
In addition to the promise of universal access, the Digital Britain report also outlined plans to create a government-led strategy group designed to assess demand and supply for next-generation broadband.
Categories: Broadband
