Government reveals it has a spare kitty for Digital Britain

The UK government has confirmed it is committed to getting behind the 'universal service' for broadband proposed by Lord Carter earlier this year in his Digital Britain report.

As part of today’s Budget Report the Treasury revealed the costs of providing the entire country with access to broadband speeds of at least 2Mb by 2012 will be met, in part, by an unexpected pool of finances not spent for the BBC’s promotion of the national digital TV switchover.

Not something the government boasts very often, the National Audit Office estimates approximately £250 million of the assigned £803 million Digital Switchover fund hasn’t been spent. This money would play a vital role in speeding up the broadband universal service roll-out.

During the Budget Report, the government added the universal service would also be complemented with “further support to improve basic digital skills and promote broadband take-up”. It was suggested remaining costs would have to be met by network owners and UK internet service providers.

Juicier details on the Universal Service roll-out will be released in the final Digital Britain report, due for publication in the Summer.