ISP KC Makes Universal 2Mbps Broadband a Reality for Hull in Yorkshire UK

KC, the incumbent broadband and phone provider for Hull and East Riding in Yorkshire, has today issued a brief trading statement for the period ending 31st March 2012, which confirms that the telecoms provider has been able to deliver a minimum download speed of 2Mbps (Megabits per second) to all homes and businesses on its network.

The operator claims that this latest feat has been achieved some “three years ahead of the Government’s” target. The government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) office aims to ensure that 100% of people in the UK have access to a minimum broadband download speed of at least 2Mbps by 2015 (Universal Service Commitment), although 90% should hopefully get “superfast” speeds of 24Mbps+.

KC Statement

Our KC brand continues to benefit from sustained growth in broadband penetration across the East Yorkshire network area, with customers attracted to bundled offerings in particular. In addition, and three years ahead of the Government’s 2015 targets, we are able to provide broadband services with a minimum 2Mbps download speed to all households and businesses across our KC network.

The news is in keeping with what KC’s Director of Consumer Services, Nick Thompson, said during January 2012. “KC is however on track to deliver universal 2Mbps across its disproportionately rural network in 2012,” predicted Thompson.

It’s worth pointing out that this actually represents a year’s delay. Back in June 2010 Thompson said (here) that KC expected to make universal 2Mbps (within its network coverage) a reality “to everyone, including the most rural locations within our service area, by March [2011]“.

Meanwhile critics will perhaps rightly point out that 2Mbps remains a very low bar and that the government should perhaps be aiming for something more like 5Mbps or 10Mbps instead. By the time we reach 2015 the figure of 2Mbps could feel extremely subpar (assuming it doesn’t already).