Queen's speech reveals updated fibre broadband plans

Government plans to deliver full-fibre broadband to the whole of the UK by 2025 have been updated as part of the Queen's Speech, which stated that Boris Johnson's target would not be pursued.

The Queen's annual State Opening of Parliament is historically ceremonial, but it does include a list of policy plans that the government is intending to put forward over the coming years.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously made a pledge to significantly accelerate Theresa May's "laughably unambitious" promise to deliver countrywide full-fibre broadband by 2033 as part of his Conservative Party leadership campaign. However, the Queen's Speech confirms that this plan will no longer be pursued.

The update to the plans follows widespread criticism from the broadband industry, which stated that the pledge faced too many hurdles to be a success even with an additional £5 billion in funding. As a result, the project will now continue with no set end date, with the replacement Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill expected to form part of the next Conservative Party manifesto.

Commenting following the announcement, James Warner, Managing Director at Glide, said: "In the current political climate, we are thrilled that the rollout of the digital infrastructure to support communities and business across the whole of the UK was a key part of this morning’s Opening Statement, and that the Government is taking the key steps to implement this across the UK.

"It is no secret that the UK is lagging behind when it comes to being a fully-connected nation, so it is reassuring that there are plans in place to make a full-fibre Britain a reality."

A spokesperson from Openreach added: "We’ve been calling for measures that encourage greater investment in full-fibre broadband networks, so it’s great to see the Government outlining new legislation that will do just that."