What does coalition government mean for super-fast broadband in UK?

Since the formation of the coalition government between the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats earlier this week speculation has arisen with regards to what this situation will mean for super-fast broadband in the UK.

Before the general election the Labour government had outlined its plans for the extension of super-fast broadband in the UK, as well as plans with regards to trying to bridge the digital divide by ensuring broadband was accessible in more rural areas of the country.

However, following the election the Labour government is now no more, and instead a coalition government has been formed between the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats, which had outlined their own plans for rolling out superfast broadband across the UK.

With the coalition government now in place many are wondering where this leaves plans for high speed broadband in the UK, with the general consensus being that superfast broadband is unlikely to feature highly on the list of things to discuss in coalition talks.

One industry official from the i3 Group commented on the plans that the Conservatives had outlined for delivery of superfast broadband, stating: “The Conservatives are the only party that have delivered a more structured and believable strategy for super fast broadband. They have a lot of time to make up due to the great Digital Britain debate that has been underway for far too long while companies like the i3 Group are already making strides to deliver it!”

He added: “The area that is the toughest to address is the rural broadband issue, and the Conservatives are not alone in their vague approach in how to resolve it. I am concerned by their ‘wait and see’ strategy which hopes that the networks in rural areas will be built without any public spending. It is unrealistic, as often the figures to build a commercially viable infrastructure just don’t stack up. I am in favour of their idea to use the BBC licence fee to fund connectivity in areas with limited access – and is certainly a much more sensible approach than Labour’s proposed broadband tax was.”

Source – Think Broadband