The new reform introduced by UK government states that every service should provide a minimum broadband speed of 10 Mbps. While businesses all over the world have welcomed this decision by the government, some critics think that this minimum speed is not ‘ambitious enough’.
In fact, many think that the access changes could backfire instead and stand in the way of future improvements in mobile coverage across the country.
In the Queen’s Speech, the government talked about the different measures to better the internet infrastructure in the UK.
After Telegraph’s Better Broadband Campaign caught fire, many customers started sharing their issues with slow broadband speeds, especially in the rural parts of the country. After that, the British Chambers of Commerce finally agreed that every citizen should have a universal right to access good-quality broadband speed.
Talking about the issue, current acting director Adam Marshall said, “If implemented in full and at pace, this could go some way to improving the poor digital connectivity that far too many firms face.”
The deputy director general of CBI, Josh Hardie also shared his thoughts on it and said, “Prioritising the digital revolution, which is transforming the face of modern business, is a key step to propelling the UK’s productivity. Ensuring that broadband reaches all corners of the country will breed a new generation of companies in an increasingly competitive environment.”
But the Institute of Directors was not happy with the announcement and they think 10 Mbps is not a very ambitious broadband speed. The director Simon Walker said, “Several cities around the world are pushing ahead with networks of 10 gigabits per second – a thousand times faster. If the UK is going to continue to be a world leader in the digital economy, the Government needs to look further ahead than their basic universal service obligation.”
At the same time, the Local Government Association that represents several hundred councils in both Wales and England has stated that the minimum broadband speed should be equivalent to the national average to ensure no areas of the country are left behind.
Of course increasing broadband speeds across the UK will also mean that companies like Virgin Media and Bit would have to invest more. But they will also benefit from the new reforms set out by Electronic Communications Code (ECC).
Michael Watson, an expert in mobile mast disputes said, “I think the Government haven’t appreciated exactly what the property industry will do in response to this.
“We have yet to see the specifics of the compulsory purchase mechanism proposed but in reality the major property companies are not going to take this lying down and in practical terms will not want masts at ‘no scheme’ rental rates so the result could even be a reduction in coverage.”
