NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the
Arts, has called on the government to deliver faster fibre-based
broadband access across the whole of the UK in the next five
years.
It is also demanding free basic broadband for the poor.
NESTA says the government
could grant telecommunication companies access to valuable radio
spectrum in exchange for the installation of fibre-optic cables
nationwide.
The "Spectrum for Speed" swap is being recommended in advance of
the launch of the government-commissioned
Carter Report. NESTA is calling on the Carter team to be more
ambitious about its plans for accelerating universal provision,
claiming that the roll-out of super-fast broadband can be achieved
at minimal cost to the public purse.
Industry sources suggest that between 80% and 90% of people in
the UK already have access to normal broadband.
Jonathan Kestenbaum, NESTA chief executive, said, "We have to go
much further, particularly during recessionary times. Unless we
invest in super-fast broadband, the UK will lose a critical
opportunity."
NESTA says fibre-optic infrastructure can be delivered across
the whole of the UK at a baseline cost of £5bn.
By giving the telecom companies radio spectrum access up to the
value of £5bn in exchange for fibre-optic infrastructure, NESTA
estimates that the UK stands to directly benefit from the creation
of 600,000 IT jobs over the next four years, with £18bn added to
GDP.