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All UK homes should have access to broadband and faster download speeds by 2012, the government has said. An interim report on the UK's digital future also looked at plans for public service broadcasting. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said digital technology was as important today as "roads, bridges and trains were in the 20th Century". But the Conservatives said the report promised "no new action". The Lib Dems said it was a "complete damp squib". Culture Secretary Andy Burnham told MPs it would help Britain secure a competitive low carbon economy in the next five to 10 years, adding the country "led the world in content creation". Every aspect of our lives... will be dependent on the services that the digital network provides. The report called for everyone in the UK to have access to a broadband speed of up to two megabits per second (Mbps). This would make internet connections would be capable of handling much more video and sites that offer much greater interactivity. By the time of the final report, the government will know whether internet service providers (ISPs) can be relied on to build next generation networks themselves or if government help will be needed. Mr Burnham said that he wanted to ensure that public services online were accessible to the widest range of people and wanted to "give parents the information and tools to protect [their] children from inappropriate content". But opposition politicians said they were disappointed in the report. Shadow culture minister Jeremy Hunt told BBC News it consisted of little more than promises to make more reports. "We're very disappointed. We thought the report was going to contain a strategy. David Cameron has said the majority of the population should have access to high-speed broadband in five years. Instead they [the government] have announced another review. "In France and Germany they are laying fibre, in Japan they already have it. In Britain the average broadband speed is 3.6Mbps so what he [Andy Burnham] is talking about is getting half the current speed," he added. "We're the second largest exporter of music and television and third for film. But when it comes to the distribution of digital content, we're lagging". The report also looked at the issue of internet piracy. Mr Burnham said the government would look at setting up a new digital rights agency and wanted to introduce legislation requiring internet service providers to notify illegal file-sharers directly about their activity.
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Topic: Broadband 'in every home by 2012' (Read 644 times)
