Comments by Britain’s e-envoy Andrew Pinder at the CBI
conference yesterday raised doubts over the commitment of the
government to broadband in Britain. Subsequently however, Prime
Minister Tony Blair moved to allay industry fears and underline the
importance of boosting broadband’s availability throughout the
UK.
Pinder said yesterday that for the government to support the
roll-out of broadband, business would have to show its support for
the technology. His comments were followed by a statement from the
Prime Minister explaining, “we are in the early days of broadband,
but it has the potential to revolutionise many aspects of our
lives.” He added that broadband would enhance competition by
breaking down barriers, commenting that “geographical location will
no longer be a restriction to competing with urban rivals.”
However, the slow implementation of broadband access in Britain
has attracted recent criticism and scepticism over the extent of
the Government’s support.
This week, BT took advantage of a recent change in legislation
and applied for a licence to broadcast television services over its
broadband network. A BT spokesman said, “it is very much a prudent
step to be in a position to go into broadcast…as and when the
technical expertise develops and the market is proven.”
