NEWS People who are trapped on the wrong side of the broadband divide are going to put increasing amounts of pressure on politicians until the issue is addressed, the telecoms industry has been warned
Antony Walker, CEO of the Broadband Stakeholder Group, told the Wi-Fi and 3G Summit in London that companies and the government would be mistaken to underestimate the voice of the minority. "The digital divide is a significant political issue. People who can't get broadband will be very vocal until they get it," he said.
Several MPs have recently admitted that their postbags are groaning with letters from constituents angry that they can't get broadband.
Currently, about 85 per cent of the population is covered by BT's ADSL network. Some people who can't get ADSL can get cable broadband, and community networks are also helping to close the gap. BT recently set another large swathe of broadband trigger levels. If all the telco's triggers were hit, it would take ADSL coverage to 99 per cent of homes and businesses and leave just 600 local exchanges without broadband.
This announcement virtually coincided with a speech from e-commerce minister Stephen Timms that called for broadband availability for all communities by the end of 2005.
Walker welcomed Timms's rallying cry, but admitted some questions remained unanswered. "We're still trying to work out what the definition of a community is, but it shows there is a desire within government to push broadband rollout," he said.
Walker also urged the government to pay greater attention to those in the UK who aren't showing interest in getting broadband, as well as those that want it and can't get it - warning that the government's ambition of offering improved public services via the internet could flounder unless broadband take-up continued to boom.
Walker cited recent research from the Oxford Internet Institute that found that 11 per cent of people are already on broadband, with 24 per cent planning to get it within the next year. This left 24 percent of internet users who were not thinking of upgrading to a faster connection, and 41 per cent of those surveyed who weren't online at all.
"This shows that 35 per cent of people either already have broadband or can see a case for getting it, but that 65 per cent don't understand what we're talking about or don't see how it would be good for them," Walker said.
Walker said that if this majority aren't attracted, it is hard to see how the government's goal of offering better public services online can be realised.
Graeme Wearden writes for ZDNet UK
Comments
There are 4 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
How is 50:1 contention going to work when we're all connected? It won't be so much streaming video as dribbling 0s and 1s surely?
2. Ian Grey
Contention is a red herring, there is contention in every network, based on not everyone needing full bandwidth all of the time. Of course, if you are unlucky enough to share your DSLAM with download obsessives you will suffer.
What concerns me more is can we achieve even latent demand (11% plus 24%) when there is a strong industry rumour that no more than 30% of suitable pairs can be upgraded in a cable after which crosstalk becomes unacceptable?
3. anonymous
Why oh why does no-one seem to address the issue of being desperate for Broadband but currently too far from the exchange? What will happen to these rural unfortunates.....?
4. anonymous
totally agree, it's bad enough at the moment in many parts of the country where you may as well be on a dail-up link. I can see the broadband IP "super highway" equivalent of the M25 occuring. How long will it realistically be to have reliable full blown broadband services that will actually be able to deliver what we need - ie web, TV, telephony?Our continental cousins are now getting access to ADSL+, 3Mb up/12Mb+ down. So much for keeping up with the Jones's.