Clodagh Murphy told ISPreview:

"I believe it is critical for everyone in the UK to have access to quality broadband. The USC (Universal Service Commitment) is part of this, but it is only the starting point. It is critical that the quality of service (QOS) element is included so that people can truly enjoy the benefits that are offered by broadband. Super fast broadband is great, but surely the starting point has got to be getting everyone using the technology and benefiting from it.

We also believe that in order to stimulate the economy to grow we need to ensure that there is a real focus on narrowing the digital divide. Therefore it is critical that the government works locally and nationally to encourage those people who have not yet adopted to adopt. There are so many advantages, from better education for children through greater reach of information, to savings from online shopping (e.g. reduced costs of purchase) for poorer families, to creating a wider social network for older people and thereby combating issues of loneliness. The list is endless.

This in turn will have a positive knock on impact on the economy and country as a whole. It may be that a 50p tax on landlines acts as an inhibitor to those people who have not yet embraced broadband, and pushes them to cease their landline and only use mobile technology."