BT has promised that steps will be taken to ensure that 90% of the UK population have access to broadband connections by the middle of 2005.
At present, only 67% of UK citizens are able to receive broadband but BT sees the technology as crucial to its future and has pledged to improve the infrastructure so that more homes can benefit from high-speed services.
“Broadband is well and truly at the heart of BT and we are absolutely committed to our target of one million broadband connections by next summer,” said Pierre Danon, chief executive of BT Retail at yesterday’s E-Summit in Westminster.
Earlier this year, BT became one of the first providers to offer cut-price broadband access and it has since launched a multi-million pound marketing campaign to promote its services. However, it has received criticism for failing to make the technology available in rural areas (see Insight Analysis: Broadband Britain – A Progress Report) and is to be the subject of a Competition Commission inquiry following complaints from Freeserve that it has been controlling the market.
The way ahead Speaking at yesterday’s conference, Tony Blair said that £1 billion had been allocated to ensure full access to broadband across the public services (see Blair Reiterates Commitment To Broadband) and BT wants to see further backing for the product.
“To make our aims a reality will mean working in partnership with others in the industry and, in particular, with the government at all levels,” insisted Danon. “We would also welcome the support of the government by them putting into practice many of the original and exciting uses they themselves have envisaged for broadband.”
In a separate move, BT has announced that it is to launch a midband service to appease householders and businesses who do not currently have access to high-speed connections. It will be twice as fast as a dial-up internet connection and offer some of the features of broadband including ‘always-on’ email. Trials will begin in the spring and the new service should be swiftly available to 97% of the UK population.
