Broadband speeds a hot topic as election looms

26 February 2010 17:06:14

Parties battle to win the broadband vote.

With prime minister Gordon Brown obliged to call a general election before June 3rd, the issue of broadband provision has emerged as something of a political battleground. Key to the debate is broadband speed, with recent research conducted by internet traffic management firm Akamai showing Britain is well off the pace in this department. Although the government committed to universal access to broadband by 2012 with a minimum speed of 2Mbps in its Digital Britain report last year, critics have argued that this does not go far enough given the level of service provided in other parts of the world.

How does Britain compare to other nations?

Akamai compared broadband speeds in 226 different countries in the third quarter of 2009 and found that Britain had the 26th fastest average connection. Although 71% of broadband lines in the UK were found to have connection speeds of more than 2Mbps, which is faster than the global average of 1.7Mbps, this is put into context by the 14.6Mbps average connection speed recorded in South Korea. Meanwhile, Sandy in Utah was named as the city with the fastest average broadband speed in the world at 33.4Mbps, with Lausanne in Switzerland topping the European list with 24.7Mbps.

Why is broadband important?

According to the CMA, an offshoot of the British Computer Society, a fast broadband network would not only benefit consumers but also provide a boost to the UK economy. In recognition of this, the Conservatives have pledged to ensure the majority of the British population has access to super-fast broadband speeds of 100Mbps by 2017. Regardless of whether this commitment can be paid for, with the Liberal Democrats suggesting it is nothing but an empty promise, the CMA believes the proposals will not have the desired effect. "CMA believes that it is necessary to stimulate the environment a long time before 2017," chair Carolyn Kimber confirmed. "The current drip-drip approach is not working."

What are the alternatives?

However, a report published by UKspace called the 'Space Innovation and Growth Strategy' proposes an alternative path to improved internet connectivity. Specifically, the trade organisation suggests investment in satellites could lead to increased speeds, although chairman Richard Peckham admitted this will be a gradual process. "It's going to be step by step but that's the trend, putting more computation up there and more storage up there and then you can start to put the more frequently used pages and things up there," Mr Peckham confirmed. Until that happens, consumers would be best served comparing broadband providers and seeing which option suits their needs most in terms of price and service delivery.

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