Government pledges £5bn for full-fibre
The UK government wants “no community” to get “left behind” after announcing £5bn funding for the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband which will serve some of the remotest locations in the country.
Chancellor Sajid Javid said the latest investment will empower people and businesses to grow personally and professionally in a world where digital services and data play an ever greater role in daily life.
According to industry regulator Ofcom, 240GB of data is used by the average household every month with fast, reliable connections supporting everything from streaming services to video calls.
Enterprises also benefit from robust communications via increased productivity, support for cutting edge tech such as AI and automation and new jobs centred around digital infrastructure and processes.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson committed to providing full-fibre broadband to every home by 2025 in the summer, and the new £5bn funding will focus on the hardest-to-reach places in the UK in particular.
Full-fibre without the use of the copper lines seen in slower ADSL and FTTC broadband promises to deliver superfast speeds of up to 1,000Mbs.
Secretary of State for DCMS, Nicky Morgan added: “We want everyone in the UK to benefit from world-class gigabit connectivity no matter where they live or work, so today Conservatives are announcing £5bn to ensure our rural communities benefit too.”
As well as improving connections in the short term, the government mission to deliver 100% full-fibre by the middle of the next decade aims to drive economic growth and lay the groundwork for a prosperous post-Brexit future.