Pirate Party gives Government broadband strategy a thumbs down

The government has taken an active stand in providing broadband access to the entire UK via its Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) project. The goal of BDUK was to provide all areas in the UK with a broadband connection of at 2Mbps by 2012. It also pushed for a level field for providers in the country. Through the program, the government is also pushing to bring next-generation broadband to at least ninety percent of the country by 2015.

The Pirate Party, however, has recently slammed the government with regards to its professed broadband strategy. The party has asserted that the goals of the strategy are more or less contradicted by the Digital Economy Act (DEA.)

This came after housing minister Grant Shapps promised to end the “digital apartheid,” where social housing tenants are unable to access the Internet. In a meeting called the “Digital by Default Summit,” Shapps said he was “absolutely convinced the digital agenda is essential” to those who are in charge of housing the poorer communities of the UK. He also encouraged landlords to come up with better infrastructure for broadband access.

Pirate Party UK leader Loz Kaye responded: “The coalition can not on one hand call the Internet ‘the fourth utility’, and on the other support legislation like the Digital Economy Act which threatens to cut whole households from the web.”

He added, “Digital exclusion will add another layer of poverty to already struggling neighbourhoods in the UK, and cement poor education outcomes. Mr Shapps must set out concrete proposals of how landlords are to be encouraged to help in increasing connectivity, not just appeal to their better nature. Councils, housing associations and government must set digital inclusion at the heart of social housing – which has been undermined by the coalition.”

Kaye insisted that it was important to increase digital literacy in the UK and that ICT “must be replaced by computer science in our schools.” He further stated: “Ministers have failed to give assurances to that effect, so an entire generation could be left behind in the UK.”

Source – The Inquirer