The government has launched a review into ways it can
help the roll-out of super-fast broadband networks across the
UK.
The independent review will be led by Francesco Caio, ex-CEO of
Cable & Wireless,
working alongside government departments.
It will report in the autumn on how barriers to operator
investment in faster networks can be overcome, whether Ofcom needs
new powers to incentivise operator investment, and what role the
public sector can play in minimising the cost to private sector of
building networks, for example, through carrying out civil
works.
"We must be ready to respond to future technological
developments, which will place unprecedented challenges for our
communications networks over the coming decade," said the
broadband minister, Shriti Vadera, who replaced Stephen Timms
in January.
"We need to prepare the way for the UK to adopt groundbreaking
new technologies to ensure that
we do not get left behind - competitively or
technologically."
In parallel, the government will also ask the Broadband
Stakeholders Group to examine the economics of fibre deployment,
specifically whether deployment of fibre to the premises will be
viable without a first step of deploying fibre to the cabinet.