Posted: 08th May, 2009 By: MarkJ
Campaign group
Consumer Focus has warned that plans for a universal 2Mbps minimum broadband speed (USO) in the UK could be scuppered if the services are too expensive and or lack usability. Readers will know that we've raised this issue a few times, usually in relation to the inherent problems with Satellite and Mobile Broadband solutions.
Overall take-up of broadband is currently estimated to be just below 60%, with a significant proportion of the nation’s 17 million non-users being older people, those on low incomes, mobile only households and those with disabilities. Just over a quarter of households on £11,500 - the Government’s threshold for those on low incomes - have broadband, compared to 77% of those with incomes over £30,000.
Jonathan Stearn, Consumer Focus, said: "If Government is to deliver on its promise for interactive services it must make sure everyone can truly access them. Having broadband in the area is important, but cables and wires are only the first step.
People who can’t afford Internet access or who feel unable to use it are increasingly at a disadvantage as technology moves on. The Government could close this gap by requiring all network operators and ISPs to offer affordable deals for consumers on low incomes."
Typically Mobile Broadband is probably one of the better choices for reaching rural and remote locations with speeds of 2Mbps, though operators can block critical applications (VoIP, Instant Messaging etc.) and it suffers from high latency (poor for online gaming), not to mention capacity and related connectivity issues.
Elsewhere another option, Satellite, suffers from even higher latency problems, poor usage/download allowances and often unaffordable high installation and hardware costs. Never the less and as the
Consumer Focus Report (.PDF) suggests, a 2Mbps USO has to do more than just delivering the headline rate, it also needs to be both flexible and truly affordable.