Broadband 'at the heart' of growth

08 April 2011

Broadband rollout is "at the heart" of the government's growth agenda, communications minister Ed Vaizey has re-emphasised, as he addressed progress towards the government's objective of delivering the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015.

Speaking at the Broadband in Suffolk Conference, Vaizey addressed the progress of Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) in initiating procurement for the country's first superfast pilot scheme in Cumbria, opening applications for a £50m second round of funding announced by the Chancellor, and in working on a "rolling program" of funding applications for future superfast pilot schemes.

Although the government has pledged hundreds of millions of pounds for broadband infrastructure over the current spending review period, Vaizey said it was the private sector that had to take a lead in the area in order for the UK to achieve its goals. "We firmly believe that the market and private industry is best placed to give consumers and business the infrastructure and services they want and need," he said.

Others have been less optimistic about progress on broadband rollout. Writing for Publicservice.co.uk in March, Andy Burton of the Cloud Industry Forum said despite coalition government investment, the level of funding available for broadband was not enough to meet UK business needs.

He also expressed concern about BDUK's progress. "Despite announcing four areas in October - North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Herefordshire and the Highlands and Islands - no firm or technologies have yet been chosen for the areas, which suggests that it will be some time before this initiative is fully under way," he said.