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Government: 25Mbps broadband for 90% of UK by 2016

by Scott Bicheno on 13 May 2011, 15:12

Tags: UK Government

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Super-vague

Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary, has attempted to put a figure and a deadline on the government's plans for ‘superfast' broadband. He said the government is aiming for 90 percent of UK homes and business to have superfast broadband and all of them to have 2Mbps by 2015.

Clearly there are some pretty vague parameters in that statement, so we gave the department for culture, media and sport a call. It turns out that superfast means at least 25Mbps and that ‘by 2015' means before the end of 2015 - i.e. by 2016.

 "If we press ahead with expansion of superfast capabilities, then we can put UK in the global fast-lane," said Hunt. "If we fail to do so then we apply a handbrake to growth precisely when we need to power ahead."

Hunt expects the market to provide superfast broadband to two thirds of the country (although it wasn't mentioned whether this includes public subsidies to BT), and that the state is subsidising the roll-out to the remaining third. It has set aside £530 million to help make this happen, which councils, quangos, etc need to apply for.

"We have set aside the money and the expertise to make this happen," said Hunt. "Now local authorities need to step up to the plate by bringing forward their own plans setting out how they will deliver this level of ambition."

 



HEXUS Forums :: 18 Comments

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Why is it that the tax payer has to subsidize the cost of some people getting 25Mb BB! Its stupid, its a luxury… even BB alone is a luxury so if you dont want it you dont get it, its not like we give away mobiles and sims with credit on so i dont see why we do it with BB.

Would be nice to have 25mb though… ill pay extra myself to have it though.
I love how they've picked a speed 1MBps faster than ADSL's current limits :)
25/25 good

25/1 sod it.
Hicks12
Why is it that the tax payer has to subsidize the cost of some people getting 25Mb BB! Its stupid, its a luxury… even BB alone is a luxury so if you dont want it you dont get it, its not like we give away mobiles and sims with credit on so i dont see why we do it with BB.

Would be nice to have 25mb though… ill pay extra myself to have it though.

I disagree. Broadband isn't a luxury anymore - Its practically impossible to bank/correspond with the government/run a business etc without it. While 25Mb might be a luxury having 8Mb+ shouldn't be - its essential.
Hicks12
Why is it that the tax payer has to subsidize the cost of some people getting 25Mb BB! Its stupid, its a luxury… even BB alone is a luxury so if you dont want it you dont get it, its not like we give away mobiles and sims with credit on so i dont see why we do it with BB.

If the Government didn't step in the third of housholds that aren't commerically viable will never get any sort of upgrades. The mobiles and sims is bad comparison as it doesn't cost billions to cover lower populated areas with mobile coverage.

Normally someone will come along and say that those of us living in areas that can't get good broadband should move to somewhere we can. As if that is a sensible and viable option :clapping:.