Public backs broadband Universal Service Obligation

Consumers are in support of the introduction of a new Universal Service Obligation (USO) for the broadband industry.

According to new research carried out by ISPreview, 71.5 per cent out of 1,445 respondents stated that a USO should be brought in to deliver fixed line broadband speeds of at least 2Mbps to all parts of the UK.

The government already has a commitment to making 24Mbps+ broadband speeds available to 95 per cent of the UK by 2017, but there are fears homes and businesses in rural parts of the nation may be left behind despite improvements to infrastructure and technology.

There is also a Universal Service Commitment (USC), which ensures everyone has access to a basic broadband speed of at least 2Mbps by the start of 2016.

However, the USC is not legally binding, whereas the USO would be, which is why support for a commitment to provide fixed line broadband speeds of at least 2Mbps is on the rise.

While consumers backed the introduction of a USO, almost 50 per cent of respondents said they would not be happy to pay more for their broadband provision to cover its cost.

Only 40 per cent said they would not mind paying an extra £1 per month on top of their existing broadband bill in order to guarantee speeds of at least 2Mbps.

If the USO pledged a minimum speed of 10Mbps, 42 per cent said they would pay around £2-£3 for it, while 45.9 per cent said they still would not want to pay more.

Other countries have already introduced some form of USO but it seems a legislation change for the broadband industry in the UK remains a long way from being brought in.

Among the issues of introducing the USO is the chance that competition within the broadband sector would be negatively affected as a result.

Businesses looking to move services into the cloud should evaluate the performance of their existing network and consider setting up a leased line or MPLS network.