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Government plans 'digital hubs' to spread high-speed broadband
07/12/10
Edited by Andy Jowett.The government plans to set up a "digital hub" in every community in the UK to support the rollout of super-fast internet services.
Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said the move is part of an £830 million strategy to encourage private sector investment in the country's broadband network.
Digital hubs would provide a central point with a high-speed link to the nearest exchange.
It would then be up to communities to connect up the area's homes using a mixture of wireless, fixed-line and satellite technology.
Mr. Hunt said the government will invest £50 million in a wave of pilot projects to test the use of the hubs.
He also claimed the new strategy will see Whitehall work with house builders to ensure new residential property is designed to be broadband ready.
"We want the UK to have the best broadband system in Europe by 2015. Our strategy, backed by an £830 million government investment, will help deliver that by stimulating private investment and competition," the minister commented.
Richard Patterson, director of Broadband Expert, recently claimed Britain's cities are on course to meet a target of having 30 Mbps broadband by 2030 - but more needs to be done to connect rural areas.
