PM promises super-fast broadband for all by 2020

With the next Budget looming, Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has pledged to give every home in the UK access to super-fast broadband by 2020. In plans set out today he claimed faster broadband connections could slash billions of pounds from public spending and create more than 250,000 jobs.

In his speech, expected to be formally announced on Wednesday, the PM will tout super-fast broadband as being "the electricity of the digital age" which "must be for all - not just for some.".

Brown has plans to provide everyone in the country with a personalised webpage through which they can submit tax claims, apply for passports, driving licences or housing benefit. This web service could also be used to track down doctor or dentist addresses or apply for parking permits. It's a move which could potentially lead to the closure of civil service officers and job centres.

Of course, in order to access a personalised webpage, a trustworthy and speedy broadband connection is needed. For this, the Prime Minister has commented the UK should be at the forefront of technology.

The super-fast broadband network pledged by the Labour government generally concerns broadband connections with download speeds over 50Mb. To give you an idea of the jump needed, the majority of UK broadband customers currently average between 3-4.5Mb.

The Labour government has already pledged to make sure all homes in the UK will be able to access a broadband connection of at least 2Mb by 2012. Meanwhile, the Conservative government has pledged 100Mb for the "majority" of UK homes by 2012 - so there's a real mix bag of dates and speeds being thrown out to the public ahead of the next general election.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, Jim Knight, the minister responsible for digital inclusion said it was of top priority the government should intervene to make sure super-fast broadband is available in rural areas of the country, not just towns and cities: "If you just leave it up to the market it'll only go to the cities, it won't get out into rural Cornwall for example without some form of public subsidy."

To pay for this work the Labour government has already announced plans to charge a 50p-per-month levy on landlines - it's a controversial tax the Tories have pledged to scrap if they get into power at the next election. According to Brown this £6 a year digital tax on phones would raise between £175m and £200m each year to provide subsidy for an improved broadband network.

Mr Brown commented: "Faster broadband speeds will bring new, cheaper, more personalised and more effective public services to people. It will bring games and entertainment options with new levels of sophistication." He continued: "So one vision for Digital Britain would create two nations: one digitally privileged, one digitally deprived. And this will mean a massive penalty in economic development to those who are denied access because of a failure of government to rise to the challenge where markets fail. The alternative is our vision: ensuring, not simply hoping for, universal coverage."

Speaking on Brown's pledge Eclipse Internet's proposition manager Paul Richens said it would be more beneficial for the government to concentrate on basic broadband access first of all, rather than pledging internet improvements based on speed.

Eclipse's proposition manager also commented on the effect changes to broadband infrastructure could have on UK businesses: "There is no doubting super-fast broadband will save the government money," said Richens. "However, we shouldn't forget the possibilities this opens up for businesses. It's not just about saving money by allowing efficient home-working or reducing call costs. Faster broadband will allow companies to access a whole new range of online services and applications that the average UK business simply doesn't have the bandwidth for yet."