Posted: 22nd May, 2003 By: MarkJ
The e-Commerce Minister, Stephen Timms, has today stated that the government will not subsidise broadband services to improve coverage in remote (rural) areas of the UK:
Mr Timms admitted that more than a quarter of households across the UK were not within reach of an affordable broadband service, with rural areas being the worst off.
Mr Timms and Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael were defending the government's position during questioning by the House of Commons environment select committee.
Tory MP Bill Wiggin said while the ministers were "celebrating two million users connected to broadband", they were "really missing the point" that there was a "fundamental problem" with the take up of broadband.More @
BBC News Online.