Digital Economy Bill passed to parliament for ratification
The new Digital Economy Bill is set to go in front of parliament today and could be in place as early as next spring.
The Bill, which guarantees a minimum internet speed of 10Mbps under the new Universal Service Obligation (USO), set out by the prime minister last October, is set to give rural homes and businesses a significant boost as they gain access to faster internet speeds.
Currently, according to the Countryside Alliance (CA), nearly half of all rural premises across the UK do not have access to speeds of 10Mbps. One in five properties does not have access to speeds higher than 5Mbps.
The Bill promises to give every property the legal right to a fast internet connection as well as helping infrastructure aimed at supporting superfast broadband and better mobile network connections. It also will allow consumers to seek compensation for poor service and low speeds.
The CA has long considered fast broadband to be an essential service, similar to that of utilities such as electricity and gas. However, the fast speeds are just not found in rural areas in contrast to urban areas.
CA head of policy Sarah Lee, said: “We hope that the commitment in the Digital Economy Bill to deliver a Universal Service Obligation (USO) of 10Mbps will ensure that much-needed digital connectivity is achieved in rural areas.
"Continued poor connectivity in the countryside represents a huge missed opportunity for economic development and must be addressed as a priority.
"We now look forward to working with the government to ensure this much-promised connectivity is delivered."
The Bill was created with the intention to “modernise our climate for enterprise and make sure Britain remains at the forefront of the global 21st-century economy so that our businesses continue to create jobs” and ultimately that “no one is left behind”.
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