Can UK Lead Europe’s Race for Superfast Broadband?

The U.K.’s digital strategy was thrust into the media spotlight again this week as the government announced its plans to spend £362 million improving broadband connections throughout England and Scotland’s underserved rural areas. This money has been allocated from the larger £530 million budget for the government’s ‘Digital Britain’ campaign that aims to provide 90% of the U.K. with superfast broadband access by 2015.

The government’s announcement comes almost a year to the day that the country’s bastion of Internet connectivity, Martha Lane Fox, launched the Race Online 2012 campaign. Over half way to its 2012 deadline, Fox’s campaign to provide Internet access to the 10 million Brits who have never used the web highlights the challenge the country faces. In the year since its launch, only 1.3 million people have been introduced to the Internet, leaving 8.7 million still to reach. A considerable goal in only one year.

Ofcom's map of broadband performance (updated August 2011)

At this stage, I’m not sure which target is more realistic. If the government intends to achieve 90% coverage by 2015 and position the U.K. as Europe’s leading networked nation it has a tremendous amount of work ahead. Looking at discussions on Twitter and the wider telecoms industry, many believe the government’s goals, particularly in regards to European leadership, are little more than hyperbole. One need only consider the work of Denmark or other European nations that are leading the charge in broadband penetration to see that we’re in no position to compete.

Perhaps one of the biggest concerns for many is how we proceed. The government has now allocated its budget and has effectively handed responsibility of how we achieve 90% connectivity to local authorities. However, many are concerned that this approach could lead to significant issues, particularly as some councils appear to lack the understanding of how to most effectively use the money for maximum broadband penetration. Thankfully there are a number of guiding lights helping to steer local authorities in the right direction. One need only look at the work of Adrian Wooster to see one such example.

Although the government’s goals are a little ambitious, it’s critical that we continue to drive forward with improvements. Even if we never become Europe’s first networked nation, there is a tremendous amount at stake here. It’s tantalising to consider what a truly networked Britain could achieve, the opportunities for businesses, education, healthcare, communication and a whole host of other diverse areas are enormous. The potential was clearly highlighted by Malcolm Corbett in a BBC interview recorded earlier this week.

One issue that councils will need to consider is marketing and how to effectively position any new broadband offerings. The Guardian yesterday highlighted the difficulties currently being faced by Digital Region as it seeks to promote a new superfast broadband network in the North of England. Current interest from the public is so low that Digital Region is now considering shifting focus from domestic users to businesses. Apparently this experience is mirrored in other parts of the country and there appears to be concern that if BT or other large ISPs are not involved then local initiatives could be stymied before they even begin.

Putting these concerns aside, it’s clear that the next step is for local councils to focus on how to most effectively use its allotted money to best serve its communities. We cannot afford any missteps here and it’s vital that local authorities work cooperatively with residents and industry experts to develop effective rollouts. Three years is going to pass quickly and it will be interesting to see how the local authorities respond.

What are your thoughts to this announcement? Do you believe the government’s timelines are realistic? Can we meet the 2015 deadline? Do you live in rural Britain? Do you have access to the bandwidth you need? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.