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BDUK to begin Universal Service Commitment |
2Mbps to be delivered to every household by 2012.
Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) will begin its drive to deliver the Universal Service Commitment to deliver 2Mbps to every household by 2012.
BDUK will also manage the spend of the £1 billion Next Generation Fund to deliver next generation broadband to 90 per cent of the country by 2017.
The group has been launched as a major report forecasting the future reach of next generation broadband across the UK is published by the Government.
The report will help inform public authorities looking to invest in superfast broadband and will also be considered by BDUK in prioritising the communities who could benefit from the Next Generation Fund.
The report investigates the reach of next generation access across the UK up to 2017 based on three scenarios of a purely market-led approach, a network subsidised by the Digital Britain ‘Next Generation Fund’ and local interventions (such as the Yorkshire Forward Digital Region initiative in South Yorkshire) supplementing a subsidised network.
With solutions in place, rural and deprived urban areas will be able to take advantage of the high-quality and innovative services that a next-generation broadband network will provide, including employment opportunities, more cost effective and efficient local services and delivery of health care and independent living for the elderly.
Stephen Timms, Minister for Digital Britain, said: "Taking advantage of new technologies like next generation broadband is vital to the growth of the UK’s economy and it’s important that all homes and businesses can access the opportunities faster speeds bring."
"This report makes clear that without public intervention, some rural areas and less well off communities will be left behind and unable to reap the economic, health and education benefits superfast broadband offers."
Further information:
Universal Service Commitment
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