The Technology Strategy Board (TSB), an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) established by the Government in 2007 and sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), has invested £1,000,000 into over a dozen research projects for the development of ULTRA Fast 1 and 10Gbps broadband technologies.

The feasibility projects - each costing between £30,000 and £100,000 - will also help establish European collaborations and form part of larger EU-funded research projects. The ultimate aim, the development of pan-European Ultra Fast Broadband, could see EU companies gaining a massive competitive advantage on a global scale.


It's good to see a proactive initiative being taken on broadband technology research. Still, developing a technology and finding a government willing to spend the billions it might cost to roll the service out are two completely different things.

Hopefully, if the TSB has any sense, their research will concentrate on ways to utilise existing fibre optic cables and networks to push future services. The other issue is likely to be whether or not the Internet itself could handle the new bandwidth. Then again, you won’t be getting a 1Gbps+ connection to your home anytime soon :tongue: .