Home > News > Britain Seeks Universal Broadband • Bookmark   • Newsletters   • Register Search Options

NEWS STORY

Britain Seeks Universal Broadband

Britain Seeks Universal Broadband
Get XBIZ News
XBIZ Research
Should governments have the power / ability to stop content piracy? (e.g. SOPA / PROTECT IP)
Yes
  45.45%
No
  45.02%
Undecided
  9.52%
Out of 231 votes. Results based on votes submitted by members of XBIZ.net social network.
Monday, Apr 27, 2009    Text size: 
LONDON — The Digital Britain movement is advancing with government plans to offer universal broadband access and mobile phone services throughout Britain by 2012, in an effort to develop a digital economy.

"I do think that the digital revolution lies at the heart of success for Britain in the years to come," Prime Minister Gordon Brown said. "Achieving that goal of universal connectivity to broadband will be a critical stepping stone to a digital Britain."

Lord Carter is credited with driving the Digital Britain initiative, which emphasizes providing citizens with minimum broadband access speeds of 2Mbps — a move which reportedly impacts an estimated 1.5m households.

The plan includes the involvement of mobile phone companies who may deliver wireless broadband services throughout rural areas where fixed-line installations would be cost prohibitive.

The government plan to require 2Mbps service was documented in the recent budget report, which claims this speed would "allow virtually everyone to experience the benefits of broadband, including the increasing delivery of public services online."

"It will also offer advantages to UK businesses, both those located in areas that will benefit from the network upgrade and those that make use of online channels to engage with their customers," the report added.

"It is vital to ensure the entire country and economy benefits from the digital age," Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, said. "So I am allocating extra funding for digital investment, to help to extend the broadband network to almost every community."

According to the report, the cost of providing Universal Service could be partially underwritten by savings realized on the Digital Switchover program — a fund, which is said by the National Audit Office to have a surplus of around £250 million — money which the government is said to be discussing with the BBC Trust.

"The BBC Trust can accept the prospective value of universal broadband access and take up, consistent with the public purpose of helping deliver the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services to the public," stated a representative of the BBC Trust.

Other revenue sources for the broadband expansion include a proposal to pass some of the burden on to "communication providers, and those who provide communication services over the network," for example, Internet Service Providers — a cost eventually borne by consumers.

A final report on how Universal Service will be deployed is scheduled for this summer, which should answer many of the remaining questions, such as the technical means of providing this access, such as via satellite or wireless broadband.

"We are looking at the details of the announcements made by the chancellor today," stated a BT spokesperson. "Significant investment will be required to keep the UK ahead of the game in communications sector and BT is already playing its part. Today's announcement sounds encouraging and we look forward to receiving further details."

More ways to get XBIZ News:  RSS Feeds  |  E-Newsletters  |  Desktop Widget  |  Mobile
Looking for porn star news and behind-the-scene videos? Check out XFANZ.com !

PROFILES & BIOS

WIA Profile: Jacky St. James

Each month, in conjunction with adult media company XBIZ, a new WIA member is profiled in the pages of XBIZ World and XBIZ Premiere magazines to highlight her career accomplishments, dedication to her... More »

WIA Profile: Kay Brandt

Each month, in conjunction with adult media company XBIZ, a new WIA member is profiled in the pages of XBIZ World and XBIZ Premiere magazines to highlight her career accomplishments, dedication to her... More »

Director’s Chair: James Avalon

James Avalon brings almost 25 years of adult industry experience into his newest endeavor as the head of Mile High Media’s feature studios Sweet Sinner and Sweet Sinema. The accomplished director,... More »
XBIZ NEWSLETTERS
Stay informed of the latest industry developments. Get XBIZ newsletters delivered to your inbox. Subscribe today!
Enter email address:

* To manage existing subscriptions click here.






POPULAR PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Submit your press release to
multiple news outlets with 1 click.
Subscribe to RSS news feeds or
add free content to your website.
Access XBIZ news and articles
with your mobile device.
XBIZ World™, the industry's leading technology journal, provides in-depth coverage of company news, market trends, growth sectors, and international news in the online, mobile and ancillary sectors - get it today!

UPCOMING EVENTS

XBIZ London Gathering

Feb 23 - Feb 23
Truckles Wine Bar in Holborn

Adult Entertainment Virtual Convention

Feb 24 - Feb 26
World Wide Web

The European Summit

Mar 05 - Mar 08
Barcelona, Spain

International Lingerie Show

Mar 26 - Mar 28
Las Vegas, Nevada
Everyday thousands of business professionals browse XBIZ's industry directory for quality products and services. Not listed yet? Your company could be losing potential new business. Submit your company today!
Use XBIZ RSS feeds to stay informed of the latest industry developments or as a content syndication tool for your website!