Broadband prospects in the UK during the current year

There are areas in UK where internet connectivity is not likely to be available in the near future, as the service providers are reluctant in executing job where they have nothing to gain. But changes are in the offing.

The consumer demand for products with heavy data and services like smart TV, internet-connectivity among computer devices etc has necessitated the development of super fast broadband infrastructure and service.

It has been widely made known that the effort of Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) in its target of providing the fast internet has only partially born fruit.

With an investment of GBP 2.5 billion, ‘Openreach’ is confident of providing fiber broadband to 66% of the UK by 2014. Its task includes increasing the speed of Fiber-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) service from 40 Mbps to 80 Mbps by 2012. The Fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) service will be upgraded from 100 Mbps to 300 Mbps in the mean time.

Virgin Media is also on the job of doubling the consumer speeds. The 100 Mbps connections will also be upgraded to 120 Mbps.

Apart from Virgin Media and BT Retail, other providers like Sky and O2 are expected to sell Openreach products.

Fiber based broadband will have many more options. Hyperoptic is one of them, which will become popular with the urban subjects as it will provide Gigabit services. Fujitsu is set to go ahead with its work in towns where faster internet than in the cities will be made available.

The roll out is bound to be limited during the year as far as mobile broadband is concerned.

The delay in the introduction of 4G will prevent the mobile broadband from overtaking the fixed line broadband in cities. Once 4G comes through, a sizable percentage of population will enjoy fast broadband.

With these developments, the UK is on the path to compete with Sweden and Netherlands with respect to internet connectivity. But it remains to be seen, by the end of the year, whether the dream of Lord Carter in the ‘availability of broadband for all’ can be fulfilled at all.