Posted: 25th Mar, 2003 By: MarkJ
MP Sir George Young will today criticise the governments policy, or lack thereof, toward enabling rural areas with broadband Internet access:
Sir George -- a long-term campaigner for more broadband rollout -- will warn that the non-availability of broadband in areas such as his North-West Hampshire constituency is causing increasing concern to those who are stranded on the wrong side of the broadband divide.
Sir George is also expected to claim that the government's policy of not making broadband a universal service is harming rural areas, as Telcos such as BT refuse to make broadband infrastructure available in places where they believe it isn't yet commercially viable.The
ZDNet item reports that other issues, such as that of broadband wireless licenses, are also likely to be raised. The debate itself is currently taking place as I type and should end at roughly 3:30pm; hopefully the war wont overshadow these issues too much.