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UK needs super fast broadband

Government minister Stephen Timms has spoken about the need for a roadmap to move to a faster broadband network in the UK.

Mr Timms, the new Minister of State for Competitiveness, spoke at a reception held by the Broadband Stakeholders Group (BSG), the UK government’s leading advisory group on broadband.  The BSG’s new work programme is intended to look at the social and economic value of next generation broadband networks, regulatory issues, public sector intervention (if needed) as well as how to support investment in infrastructure.

The challenge for the UK is to move to a faster broadband network in order to maintain economic competitiveness.  Other nations have been quick to adopt fibre based networks in order to deliver higher bandwidth to fulfil the requirements of next generation applications including High Definition video downloads, peer-to-peer applications, interactive and user generated services.

Most people agree the way to a faster broadband network must be based on fibre rather than copper.  Mr Timms believes that Satellite and Wireless technologies may also have an important role to play.

Mr Timms welcomed some of the progress the UK has made in rolling out fibre. In particular Virgin Media, whose network covers half of UK homes, is rolling out up to 20 Mbps services, with trials of up to 50 Mbps services currently taking place in Ashford, Kent.  BT, as part of its 21st Century Network, is upgrading its core network and will deploy fibre to new greenfield sites.  BT will also provide fibre access from the outset on a wholesale basis to other service providers.

Following on from investment in local loop unbundling (LLU), where providers can install their own equipment in BT exchanges, a new point of interest is in Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) and sub loop unbundling.  This involves unbundling at the street cabinet so that operators can install fibre and equipment at the street cabinet. All the major players have looked at these options but nothing has come to fruition as yet.

Kip Meek, chairman of the BSG said: “Other countries are investing in higher speed broadband and the UK isn’t. If we want to see the UK stay ahead amongst the international leaders in broadband, we must find a way to encourage timely and efficient investment. We’re not looking to government for all of the solutions, but we are looking for ministerial leadership.”

Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Competitiveness, said: “When I became ecommerce Minister five years ago, the UK was neck and neck with Croatia on broadband availability and use. Together, thanks in no small measure to the work of the Broadband Stakeholder Group, we fixed that problem and put Britain in a leading position.”

However, today we face a new challenge. Other countries are starting to invest in new, fibre based infrastructure, delivering considerably higher bandwidth than is available in the UK today.”

Related links

• Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP launches new BSG work programme