Ofcom, the communications regulator in the UK, has indicated that a mandate for universal broadband is now under consideration.
This would presumably be similar to the universal obligation placed on the Royal Mail and therefore mean every home must have access to a high speed internet connection. Quite how this would shake out in reality is yet to be spelt out.
The idea behind a universal broadband mandate is that we are nearing the point where 75 per cent of all UK homes have adopted broadband, and so ought to be considered a necessity that was made available to all. Otherwise, the digital divide of the haves and have-nots will only widen and become starker as time goes on.
The big questions to be thrashed out are what level of obligation is achievable and how it would be funded. But with BT already subject to a universal service obligation to supply a phone line to whoever asks for one regardless of the economic feasibility, we could say we are part of the way there already. Though not, obviously, for those users who are too far from their local exchange to get broadband by this particular means.
Also of interest to a great many people will be Ofcom’s definition of high speed broadband. Will it be as low as 512kbp/s, 2Mb or 5Mb. Certainly 8Mb looks to be an outsider.
