Europe's poorest regions in broadband cash boost

NEWS Erkki Liikanen, the European Union's telecoms commissioner, has called for billions of euros to be invested in developing broadband in some of Europe's poorest regions. He wants the EU and local governments to make more money available in rural and remote areas to enable them to rollout broadband infrastructure. The proposals will be put forward at next month's EU summit in Seville. The proposals are unlikely to be rubber-stamped, however. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said yesterday that government financing for internet infrastructure was 'often mistaken', according to today's FT. The OECD claims that deregulation and full competition in the telecoms markets in Europe will address the problem more effectively. Around E6bn has already been set aside for high-tech investment in such areas, but Liikanen believes more needs to be done to help them flourish.