Does Government report promise a low-speed broadband Britain?

By Davey Winder
Friday, 30 January 2009 00:31

Networking

The much awaited UK Government report which promises to help secure Britain at the head of the future global digital economy has some plain bizarre recommendations to get it there.

Last week we reported how the British Government were considering introducing a 'broadband tax' in order to compensate movie and music industry giants for their losses through Internet piracy.

Now 'Digital Britain: The Interim Report' has been published which details Government plans for the UK's digital transition and forms the blueprint for helping to put the country firmly at the forefront of the global digital economy.

Consisting of more than 20 recommendations, the report contains specific proposals relating to the modernisation of wireless radio spectrum holdings and the future of digital radio as well what it calls a 'new deal' for digital content rights.

However, it is when we get to the stuff concerning next generation networks and the universal access to broadband that the report gets really interesting, and really rather daft in places.

UK Government Business Secretary, Peter Mandelson, insists that the report "sets out a strategy for building a knowledge economy where our most valuable assets are the skills and innovation that underpin our digital industries."

Promising an action plan to outline a programme of work to upgrade and modernise the wired and wireless infrastructure, report author Lord Carter who is also the Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting states that "...our communications industries rightly demand clarity from Government on its role and a framework for the future."

So we get talk of bringing broadband to every British resident by 2012, for example, which sounds like a great plan. Until you look at the details and realise that the Government is suggesting speeds of 2Mbps for everyone.

Trouble is, the current UK average is already 3.6Mbps so I am not sure what great leap of vision there is in aiming to get everyone connected at half that rate in 3 years time. Especially if this is meant to make us global leaders when France and Germany are laying fibre, and the Japanese already have it.

If, as Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated today, that digital technology was as important today as roads and bridges and trains were in the 20th Century, then perhaps he should be thinking more in terms of Bullet Train Broadband rather than steam powered speeds.