Jamie Hailstone 31 July 2017

BT offers to invest £600m to improve broadband speeds

BT has offered to invest up to £600m to make sure the majority of UK households and businesses get broadband speeds of at least 10Mbps per second.

The offer by the communications giant comes after the Government said it would introduce the Universal Service Obligation (USO) regulation, which would give every home and business in the UK the right to request a high-speed broadband connection of at least 10Mbps.

In the past, organisations such as the Local Government Association have also criticised the availability of high-speed broadband, particularly in rural areas.

And last week, the British Infrastructure Group of MPs warned that as many as 6.7 million households in the UK are failing to reach speeds above the USO’s proposed minimum standard.

BT’s chief executive Gavin Patterson said the investment ‘will reinforce the UK’s status as the leading digital economy in the G20’.

‘We already expect 95% of homes and businesses to have access to superfast broadband speeds of 24Mbps or faster by the end of 2017,’ said Mr Patterson.

‘Our latest initiative aims to ensure that all UK premises can get faster broadband, even in the hardest to reach parts of the UK.’

The Government will now work with BT over the coming months to develop the offer, which, if it is accepted, will be legally-binding.

Culture secretary Karen Bradley said the Government will now ‘look at whether this or a regulatory approach works better for homes and businesses’.

‘Whichever of the two approaches we go with in the end, the driving force behind our decision making will be making sure we get the best deal for consumers,’ she added.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Makaton Tutor - Part Time / Term Time

Essex County Council
£25821.00 - £30377.00 per annum + + Pension
Makaton Tutor - Part Time / Term TimePermanent, Part Time£30,377 per annum, full time equivalent / equal to £15.74 per hour.Location
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Assistant Urban Design Intern

Essex County Council
Up to £25081.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Assistant Urban Design InternFixed Term, Full Time£25,081 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Wellbeing and Independence Practitioner - Safeguarding Team

Essex County Council
£31931.00 - £36423.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Wellbeing and Independence Practitioner - ASC Centralised Safeguarding TeamFixed Term, Full Time£31,931 to £36,423 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Financial Strategy Manager (Revenue)

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council
Negotiable
Bring clarity to complex decisions and help shape how we invest in our borough's future.Bring clarity to complex decisions and help shape how we inves England, London
Recuriter: The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council

Team Manager - Locality

Wakefield Council
£55,979.00, Grade 13
Wakefield Children’s Services have been rated by Ofsted as GOOD with outstanding leadership. Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council
Linkedin Banner