Industry commentators have said the Carter Review
represents a step in the right direction forDigital Britain, but broadband speeds
may not be enough to support the government's grand
vision.
Becta chief executive
Stephen Crowne, said, "Broadband must play a central role in
education. We firmly believe that reliable, widespread broadband
access is an essential tool that will help equip learners with the
training and skills that are required for a truly 'Next Generation'
workforce."
While it welcomed the report, the
Communications Managers
Association was concerned that multimedia services outlined by
Carter would overload UK broadband networks. In a statement, the
CMA said the government needed to ensure that the UK's telecoms
infrastructure is not overburdened in the short term by video
entertainment at the expense of content that is more directly
associated with the wider economic benefit.
Charlie Beckett, director of
Polis, the London
School of Economics Media think tank, said, "The government is
grasping the nettle of the major media reforms that need to take
place not only to bring Britain into the dgital age, but to ensure
that our world leading public service broadcasters are not
destroyed by digital competition."