Communications Minister wants “broadband for all”

Monday 05 January 2009

The Communications Minister, Stephen Carter has announced that he is considering implementing a new Universal Service Obligation (USO) in order to enforce the provision of broadband to anyone who wishes to make use of it across the UK.
 
Currently, a USO that was set up in 1984 means that BT are obliged to provide a landline phone and dial-up internet access to every home in the UK. This harks back to the times when BT was a state-run operation with monopoly status. It is now an obligation that costs the provider an estimated £57m-£74m per year. 
 
The replacement of a new USO would mean that BT would no longer be alone in the enforced provision of a telecommunications service. 
 
Speaking to the Broadcasting Press Guild last month, Carter commented: “We are at a tipping point in terms of broadband availability”. He then shared his thoughts on a “country universally connected to video-capable broadband of two megabits per second (Mbps) – that is a base starter for 10”
 
If the Communications Minister is successful in implementing this new USO, all UK residents would be guaranteed a broadband service of at least 2Mbps, even in rural locations that still currently rely on a dial-up service.
 

Comments

neutral

by J S White
at 18:20 on 18 Jan 2009

I am greatly in favour of your proposed UFO on broadband. The 100 or so house in my hamlet cannot get this because we aer to far from the BT Exchange. We are not in the wilds of Scotland or Wales but mid Suffolk. 80 miles from London, 40 from Cambridge & Norwich, & only 18 miles from BT Research Centre at Martlesham. I have been unable to get information from BT. Letters do npot get answered. Sometimes I receive phone call from BT Asian call centre but am unable to understand the accents.
At present I am lucky to get 38.6kps on dial up, pleae please get BT to provide Broadband.
Oakdene
Haughley Green
IP14 3RR

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