Digital Britain: Broadband for all by 2012

Lord Carter's eagerly-awaited interim Digital Britain report arrived today, which promised... not much really, except for *gasp!* broadband in every home by 2012.

But do we need it? And who's going to pay? Is a 2012 deadline setting the country up for another failed public project?

Or is this the first step towards a shining online future? I think it's a noble idea but needs a lot of hammering out.

Let us know your thoughts on the report, which also suggests a rights agency for looking at copyright infringement, and a possible digital switchover -- for radio.

I would personally like to see plans for getting Faster Internet. Broadband speeds in some areas are absolutely pitiful.

That's definitely desirable, but what about places that don't have it at all? And should there even be government involvement? Is broadband a luxury or a human right?

I think that the Government should own the actual "network", but only private companies should be able to provide an Internet Service.

And besides, I thought that like, 99% of the country had access to broadband anyway?

not everyone's even got bloody digital television yet, 99% of these people are elderly I would imagine.

Haven't had time to read the papers on that sight, so I can only make limited comments.

One thing that strikes me, is that while they want to give every home broadband, they're not really saying anything about families who can't even afford a computer. It's kind of like putting fine art paintings in the house a blind person.

I'm also selfishly curious as to what this initiative means to the people of Hull, where I live. Let me just tell the story for those that don't know.

Hull is the only city in the UK to have its own phone network ("Kingston Communications" ), which from what I've been told is incompatible with the rest of the BT network. Other companies do not operate in Hull because it is too costly for them to lay their own cables, and they don't find it economically viable to lease lines at wholesale prices from Kingston Communications. According to OfCom, Kingston Communications is doing all it is required to do to satisfy monopoly restrictions.

The upshot is, here in Hull we have no choice as to who we get our landline telephone and internet from. So, is the government going to separately force KC to meet the targets it has set, or is it going to give grants to other companies to actually come here and build their own networks?

On the bright side in Hull, we can have upto 24Mbit, although the tariffs are stupid.

On a separate note, I like how the forum has been integrated into your article, Rich, replacing comments. Very good idea.