Broadband News

Culture secretary warns he could take broadband funding away

Monday 23 January, 2012

By Duncan Heaney

Government warns councils not to get mired in paperwork.

Jeremy Hunt, the UK’s culture secretary, has threatened to take away £530 million of funding currently earmarked for local broadband projects, if councils fail to meet the government’s deadlines for superfast broadband.

Last year, the government allocated a large chunk of money to drive broadband infrastructure improvements across the country. Councils could apply for the cash, provided they submitted their broadband plans by the end of February. Hunt wanted them to think of ways to bring superfast internet access to 90% of the population by 2015, with some councils telling him they could reach 100% of constituents.

Talking to a parliamentary committee on local government, Hunt emphasised that he would not tolerate councils holding up the process with paperwork, and would “put the fire up everyone’s backsides” to avoid this.

Hunt said: “There is £530m on the table to help deliver this, but I have to say that if broadband contracts aren't actually signed by the end of this year I will consider taking this back.”

The government is eager for the broadband upgrade projects to start as soon as possible - it pledged that the UK will have the “best broadband in Europe” by 2015. Currently, it’s still some distance from that, particularly in rural areas where some homes are still getting speeds of less than 2Mb, and others can’t get internet at all.

Hunt believes that the broadband rollout will enhance lives and services, such as health telecare - the remote care of old and physically less able people, allowing them to remain living in their own homes, in these areas.

“It’s a big opportunity for Britain,” he said.

Photo by adrienneserra.