Broadband Roll-out

HL Deb 08 May 2001 vol 625 cc166-7WA

The Earl of Northesk

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they respond to the survey from NetValue revealing that the United Kingdom is ranked tenth (out of eleven countries surveyed) in terms of broadband connection, with only one in 32 households, equivalent to 3.1 per cent, having a broadband connection compared with one in 9 in the United States, one in 16 in France and one in 20 in Germany; and what are the implications of these figures for the Government's target for making the United Kingdom the best nation in the G7 for broadband by 2005. [HL1622]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

The NetValue report paints a misleading picture, since they looked only at those people who use the Internet; using their own figures, a higher proportion of the overall population in the UK uses broadband than in Germany or France. The UK has a much higher Internet penetration—40 per cent compared with 20 per cent in Germany and France.

The UK is rolling out broadband at a rate comparable with most European countries, although we are arguably 12–18 months behind the United States. It is, however, right to be concerned about the need to accelerate and broaden roll-out, which is why an action plan aimed at making the UK the most extensive and competitive broadband market in the G7 has recently been published by the Office of the E-Envoy.