London's broadband future in jeopardy

London will not be able to support new broadband networks and services by 2012, data centre specialist Migration Solutions has warned.

Alex Rabbetts, managing director of the consultancy company, said this means plans to stay on top of the international broadband league tables will fail unless the whole of the UK’s data centre infrastructure is overhauled.

A data centre is a facility used to house critical computer systems and associated components. Most large cities have many purpose-built data centre buildings in secure locations close to telecommunications services where most internet networks are located.

Rabbetts said: “I agree with the target [set out in the Broadband Stakeholders Group’s report, Pipe Dreams? Prospects for the next generation broadband deployment in the UK]”.

This report warned that a number of key competitor nations are now deploying networks that are capable of delivering much higher access speeds than are currently available in the UK; and there seems to be little prospect for the widespread deployment of next generation broadband in the UK at present.

It called on the Government to establish a target to ensure that by 2012 the UK remains in the upper quartile of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations in terms of the quality and reach of broadband services in the UK.

But Rabbetts said it took no account of the need to build data centre capacity. He said that plans for a co-ordinated approach between companies and Government for deploying the new networks must also include provision for data centre capacity.

“Data centres are an integral part of the broadband supply chain. High-value employment, a competitive economy and great Web 2.0 services all depend on this perspective being understood by the people who plan and build our networks, homes, office buildings and cities," he said.

Rabetts also thinks that the lack of data centre space in London would also be exacerbated by other factors.

These include emerging environmental regulation that makes the construction of new space problematic and expensive and the impending massive power demands needed to build the infrastructure for Olympic games.

"These conspire to leave London with no spare data centre capacity for the growth envisaged by the BSG, or in the business plans of the network operators, Web 2.0 services providers and funds that have invested in them," he said.