Latif LADID ("The New Internet based on IPv6") schrieb:
UK - Ministers consider new law guaranteeing fast broadband for every home
All householders would have a legal right to a high speed broadband
connection under new plans being considered by the Government.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/broadband/6920942/Ministers-consider-n
ew-law-guaranteeing-fast-broadband-for-every-home.html Published: 8:00AM GMT 02 Jan 2010
The Government is considering making broadband access a legal right.
The proposals would place high-speed internet access on a par with utilities
like water and gas, which are already covered by legislation guaranteeing
their supply to every home in the country.
The legal broadband obligation has been proposed by council leaders in
response to concerns that rural communities are being left behind by the
digital revolution, with residents and businesses in much of the countryside
forced to endure sluggish internet connections.
Local authorities say that the Goverment's existing "commitment" to provide
2 Mbps broadband access to all homes by 2012 is insufficent, and are calling
for faster minimum speeds to be enshrined in law.
While many city dwellers will soon enjoy super-fast 40 Mbps connections,
around 42 per cent of rural households are still unable to access the
internet at 2 Mbps, because of the distance between homes and telephone
exchanges.
Keith Mitchell of the Local Government Association (LGA), which has
forwarded the proposals to ministers, said that fast internet was now
"essential to everyday life" and should be viewed as a necessity rather than
a luxury.
He said: "From doing business, to banking online, accessing information or
just downloading music, high speed broadband would change the lives of
people and boost businesses in rural areas across the country."
If the proposals are accepted by John Denham, the secretary of state for
communities and local government, and ministers at the Department of
Innovation and Business, Britain would become one of the first countries in
the world to oblige internet service providers to deliver fast broadband.
Finland passed a law guaranteeing 1Mps connections in October last year.
The plans were shortlisted by the LGA for consideration by ministers after
being selected from more than 300 ideas to improve local life drawn up by
councils across the country.
Christopher Snowling, cabinet member for health and community at Mid Sussex
District Council which originally proposed the new law, said that guaranteed
broadband speeds would help close the digital divide between rural and urban
areas.
撤eople living in rural areas deserve the same quality of internet
connection as those living in major towns and cities. Better broadband
internet would encourage commuters to work from home which would cut traffic
and CO2 emissions," he said.
擢aster internet speeds will allow rural businesses to compete on a more
level playing field with businesses in urban areas and make sure school
children in rural areas are not disadvantaged by not being able to access
information online."
The Telegraph has launched a campaign for a better deal for broadband users
in rural areas to ensure they do not miss out on vital services and business
opportunities.
But the Government has been reluctant to make firm commitments to minimum
broadband speeds because of the costs of improving networks in rural areas.
The cost of installing the fibre optic lines required for super-fast
broadband to all homes has been estimated at up to ｣30 billion.
But last June Gordon Brown conceded that more must be done to help rural
businesses cut off from the benefits of the web, acknowledging that "a fast
internet connection is now seen by most of the public as an essential
service, as indispensable as electricity, gas and water".
A Government spokesman said: "The Government remains absolutely committed to
improving the lives of people in both urban and rural communities. We will
carefully consider the full shortlist of proposals when it is received from
the LGA.
"We don't want rural Britain to miss out on the social and economic benefits
of quality broadband, which is why the Universal Service Commitment of 2Mbps
set out in the Digital Britain White Paper aims to provide good quality
broadband to all parts of the UK.
"We believe this commitment achieves the best possible balance between
faster services and affordability. Our plans foresee a fast roll-out of
2Mbps by 2012, after which our efforts and resources will focus on enabling
Next Generation Access to most of the UK by 2017, providing much higher
speeds of 40Mbps or more."
