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Can you live without broadband?

Broadband analyst firm Point Topic looks at the prospects for the development of broadband in the UK and why it has become a necessity for many individuals.

The Government proposed to offer universal broadband to almost every home in the UK in its recent interim report by Lord Carter.  This talks of access to broadband with a speed of 2Mbps as benchmark.  Point Topic believes this could spur on development of next generation, super-fast broadband speeds.

“Now we’ve reached the point where losing your connection or just being in ‘slowband land’ can be incredibly frustrating,” says Tim Johnson, chief analyst at Point Topic. 

“Fast internet access has changed the way we listen to music, watch TV, stay in touch with our friends, shop and plan our lives.”

The analyst firm’s estimates also show a divide in areas able to receive higher broadband speeds.  Those that live in highly populated areas are more likely to be able to receive broadband at faster speeds.  London is way out in front, where 93% of the population can receive up to 8Mbps connections.

Regions such as Wales, Yorkshire and other more rural areas however are much less likely to get those kinds of speeds, whilst some simply may not have access to broadband.

Johnson explains: “The picture varies a lot across the country of course. We estimate over 90% of households in Swindon have broadband, and about 99% of them can get reasonable speeds.  On the other hand in Teesdale, deep in the Pennines, only 25% of households have broadband. Over 40% of them are out of range to get 2Mbps – the speed that Lord Carter suggests should be the target for universal service.”

The key is investment in fibre based networks, chiefly by FTTC (fibre-to-the-cabinet), which involves installing fibre-optic cable from the telephone exchange to street cabinets, which allows faster speeds to reach homes.  The speed on current copper-based lines degrades after some distance, which causes broadband speeds to fall in current ADSL installations.  With FTTC, copper based lines would only be used from the street cabinet to the home, which is a much shorter distance and therefore likely to offer higher broadband speeds.

If the government however is focussed on its so-called “Universal Service Commitment” and appropriate investment is forthcoming, then Point Topic reckons that “over 90% of UK homes could have broadband access in 10 years time, almost all with speeds of over 32Mbps”.