Business broadband 'readily available' in London
Minister for culture and digital industries Ed Vaizey has defended the government's record over the rollout of superfast broadband, claiming the technology is "readily available" in London.
The minister was responding to a report from the House of Lords – Make or Break: The UK's Digital Future – which suggested the internet should be considered a basic utility.
Mr Vaizey argued that government investment in the last five years has brought superfast technology to two million more people across the UK.
He claimed most companies that are based in London are now able to access business broadband speeds of 1 Gbps, although he conceded it is "expensive" to have these speeds.
"Nine out of ten London homes can get superfast broadband and domestic broadband prices in the UK are among the lowest in Europe," said Mr Vaizey.
"London is also benefiting – as is the rest of the UK – from the fastest roll out of 4G mobile broadband in the world, following our successful auction of new spectrum."
Mr Vaizey pointed out that broadband providers such as BT and Virgin Media are still investing large amounts of money in order to bring faster speeds to more of the UK.
The minister also highlighted a recent report produced by consultants PwC that put London at the top of 30 global cities for technology readiness, while the UK is regularly highly placed in broadband studies examining speed and cost.
The House of Lords report criticised a "distinct lack" of government coordination on digital initiatives and chair of the Digital Skills Committee Baroness Morgan stated that the report should act as a "wake-up call" to the government.
She said: "Digital is everywhere, with digital skills now seen as vital life skills. It's obvious, however, that we’re not learning the right skills to meet our future needs. The report makes it clear that our approach to educating people of all ages needs a radical re-think."
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.
(Image: Kainet)
