Superfast broadband edges nearer for the most remote

Faster broadband is a step closer for those living in the most remote and isolated parts of the UK. 

Digital minister Matt Hancock has announced that the funding pot for the government-subsidised rollout of superfast broadband has reached £645m after 2 million homes and businesses signed up for faster speeds in areas that are already connected.

Broadband suppliers are required to return funding when connections installed as part of the programme are taken up by consumers.

See also: BT’s rural broadband offer snubs thousands of farmers

Mr Hancock said the funding will help to reach the final 5% of homes and businesses in the UK without a superfast connection.

Opportunity

NFU senior planning and rural affairs adviser Suzanne Clear said the extra funding was good news, but it is not yet known how it will be spent.

“It would be great if that extra funding was targeted at farmers and growers; it’s certainly an opportunity to get to more growers,” she said.

The subsidised superfast rollout, delivering speeds of 24Mbps, is part of the government’s Digital Economy Act, which aims to improve broadband coverage in the UK by 2020.

However, the superfast rollout will not reach all homes by this date and around 7.8 million people are instead facing speeds of just 10Mbps, delivered through a Universal Service Obligation (USO).

The USO would have given homes and businesses the right to faster speeds, but in August BT Openreach put forward a deal to voluntarily provide 10Mbps to 99% of consumers more quickly and for less money than possible to achieve through the USO.

Thousands snubbed

The plan, which the NFU said is still on the table, would leave 60,000 of the most remote homes with even slower speeds.

More than 80% of people support government plans to introduce a minimum national speed of 10Mbps via a legally binding USO, a survey of 1,700 people by ISPreview.co.uk has revealed.

But 78% feel the minimum should have been set at a rate of 30Mbps.

Ms Clear said that for both the USO and BT’s offer, more detail is needed on what consumers will actually receive.

“If the speed is going to be 10Mbps we would welcome it, but at the same time we have called for more clarity.

“What is actually the offer for the consumer and what will the download and upload speeds be? There will also be different methods of delivery.

“Some consumers won’t even get 10Mbps, and that could be farmers and growers.”