Ministers to spend £5bn taxpayers’ cash on super-speed broadband after admitting Britain lags behind Europe
The Culture Secretary revealed plans to roll-out faster broadband nationwide, but it could take up to 15 years
MINISTERS plan to spend £5 billion of taxpayers’ cash on super-speed broadband after admitting Britain lags the rest of the Europe.
Furious MPs blasted telecoms giant BT as the Government revealed only four per cent of homes have the fastest “full fibre” connections against 71 per cent in Spain and 28 per cent in France.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright unveiled plans to roll out the super-speed broadband nationwide – but said it could take another 15 YEARS to achieve.
Developers will have to equip new build homes with full fibre broadband and telecom operators will have a “right to enter” flats, business parks and office blocks to put in faster connections.
But Mr Wright said that as much as £5 billion of taxpayers’ cash will be used to connect hard-to-reach rural areas despite the hundreds of millions given to BT so far in subsidies.
Most households are still connected to roadside BT boxes by ageing copper telephone lines –restricting the capacity and speeds on offer.
Former Tory party chairman Grant Shapps said the lack of fast-speed broadband available was a direct result of a “monopoly stitch up” given BT’s own wholesale arm has been in charge of the roll-out.
He said BT has only put connections in where it can make the most money.
He stormed: “Over the years BT Openreach has acted as a near monopoly provider, making profits from easy installs, then turning to the taxpayer to fund rural broadband.
“Now they’re at it again. The need to splash so much taxpayers;’ cash is in some ways an indictment of the current broadband infrastructure monopoly stitch up.
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“A better approach would be to have an entirely independent broadband infrastructure company building the UK fibre network rather than allowing BT to effectively own the lot.”
Mr Wright said: “We want everyone in the UK to benefit from world-class connectivity no matter where they live, work or travel.”
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