Government publishes detailed superfast broadband plan

A report (61-page / 3.5MB PDF) outlining how the Government hopes to meet a commitment to ensure universal broadband coverage in the UK and widespread superfast broadband coverage outlines how it will spend its £530 million budget.

Government body Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) will spend £50m on pilot schemes testing a new plan to put a 'digital hub' in towns and villages.

"BDUK will ... explore the viability of a broadband community hub at a local level – which could provide the means of extending networks where the community will either take responsibility for the actual civil engineering of the network or take greater control over managing network elements," said the report. "Networks can then be extended over time to provide enhanced access to broadband for individual premises in a variety of ways."

"For example, an operator’s cabinet can be equipped to support the splicing of fibre builds into the access network. Interfaces can be made available such that wireless networks or indeed community managed femtocells can be added to the network. The latter needs to be agreed with industry and is subject to sufficient demand and support by communities," it said.

The Government has said that it wants the UK to have the most extensive superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015 and that it wants everyone to have the chance to access the internet at speeds of two megabits per second or above.

The report said that the use of fibre for more of the networks would be the basis of the planned progress, but that other technologies would be used when appropriate.

"A mix of technologies –fixed, wireless and satellite – will be needed to deliver superfast broadband throughout the UK," said the report. "One technology choice will not be suitable for all circumstances."

"Our approach to delivery therefore remains technology-neutral, although it has to be recognised that high-capacity fibre optic deeper into the network is likely to be a key feature of the UK’s network going forward. Whether this is directly to people’s homes, a street cabinet or to a mast remains will depend on local circumstances," it said.

The Government's focus on superfast broadband has been criticised, with ISP Talk Talk claiming that it would be better advised to ensure that everybody had access to normal broadband first.

"We think the funds should be focused on ‘digital inclusion’ – helping the 10m of our fellow citizens who do not use the Internet to start using it and enjoying the benefits it delivers," said TalkTalk director of strategy and regulation Andrew Heaney in a blog post published when the Government's plans were first outlined.  "The simple maths show that spending on digital inclusion is the right priority."

"In rural areas NGA networks cost upwards of £1,000 per home passed," he said. "Based on experience elsewhere only 10% or 20% of homes might take up the new faster network. That means that it will effectively cost £5,000 to upgrade a home from 2Mbps [megabits per second]  to maybe 40Mbps. For that same amount 10 or 20 people could be helped to use the Internet for the first time and enjoy the immense benefits it brings."

Secretary of State for Olympics, Culture, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt said that it was economically and socially important to put public money into superfast broadband infrastructure.

“A superfast network will be the foundation for a new economic dynamism, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and adding billions to our GDP," he said. "But it is not just about the economy, around the world there are countless examples of superfast broadband helping to build a fairer and more prosperous society, and to transform the relationship between Government and citizens. And shifting Government services online will save billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money."