UK broadband not fit for purpose, says business group

[zappaDPJ]

The report found that:

• 94% of small business owners consider a reliable internet connection to be critical to the success of their business

• 45,000 UK small businesses are still on dial-up speeds

• Only 15% of firms say they are very satisfied with their broadband provision.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28232142

A pretty damning report if the Federation of Small Businesses are to be believed but a load of bull if the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (who?) are to be believed.

A DCMS spokesperson said that the report "doesn't reflect the real picture, but rightly highlights the growing importance of broadband to businesses in the digital age".

My money is on the FSB!

[nowster]

It's very simple: BT have been given TV licence money to bring broadband to 95% of rural properties. BT have said "Thank you so much!" and wired up the easiest and most profitable of those, leaving unserved those for whom the money was really intended to help.

[Gary]

Pushing fibre is great but without vectoring (N Ireland are using it now) speeds will slow as more people get on those cables anyway. Denmark has also put Vectoring into practice, and its helped people at the 400-500M mark the most achieve not only a greater sync but you don't loose so much speed across the board as take up continues. BT are doing yet another trial of Vectoring this year so I cant see that hitting prime till 2016 at least.

[Gary]

It's very simple: BT have been given TV licence money to bring broadband to 95% of rural properties. BT have said "Thank you so much!" and wired up the easiest and most profitable of those, leaving unserved those for whom the money was really intended to help.

I couldn't agree more, so many people have FTTC enabled at the exchange but cabinets were cherry picked for ease and profitability leaving many, including new builds out in the cold.

[armadillo]

It's very simple: BT have been given TV licence money to bring broadband to 95% of rural properties. BT have said "Thank you so much!" and wired up the easiest and most profitable of those, leaving unserved those for whom the money was really intended to help.

But we should not be surprised. BT PLC is a PLC. It has a statutory responsibility to its shareholders. It is legally bound to deliver a profit. http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/Ourcompany/Ourvalues/index1.htm  If we read their "goal" it says "to deliver sustainable profitable revenue growth". It is as simple as that. If we really want them to concentrate on the difficult-to-reach rural properties, then we either have to change their statutory obligations via Parliament or specifically provide them with a grant from taxpayers' money to carry out the work and appoint an independent overseer to ensure that it is done.

If they are set an objective to achieve a certain percentage coverage and are statutorily obliged to sustain profitable revenue growth, it follows that they must pick the easiest options first.

Perhaps the politicians should include in their manifestos a pledge to increase taxes by 1p in the pound in order to fund rural broadband in the hardest to reach regions of the UK and see if the electorate vote for them. Perhaps not?

This is pure politics and it is not BT's fault. I would love to see the telecoms infrastructure become part of a national, government funded department. While we are at it, let's re-nationalise the energy supply and transport infrastructure too.

Within the present structure of providing essential infrastructure services via PLCs with a main statutory responsibility to deliver profit to shareholders, we should not be surprised that there is so much public dissatisfaction with telecoms, railways and energy companies.

[zappaDPJ]

Perhaps the politicians should include in their manifestos a pledge to increase taxes by 1p in the pound in order to fund rural broadband in the hardest to reach regions of the UK and see if the electorate vote for them. Perhaps not?

I think they should. If that gets everyone on FTTC within a reasonable time frame I'd pay it. Broadband has become a necessity and not having a decent connection puts people and businesses at a real disadvantage.