Government maps out broadband milestones

Department for Culture, Media and Sport publishes its four-year plan

The UK government has published a detailed roadmap for its 2015 broadband rollout project.

In a four-year plan published yesterday, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) mapped out how it will reach its ambitious goal of delivering the “best super-fast broadband network in Europe”.

To reach its aim of creating a level playing field between established and new fibre optic companies, the DCMS will hold an industry round table in December “to discuss ways to increase certainty and confidence for potential investors”.

And it warned it may consider introducing legislation to ease the rollout of super-fast broadband if utility operators do not co-operate. The department will start to monitor progress in 2011. It has already opened a public consultation on access to ducts, sewers and poles that can be used to carry fibre optic cables, due to end this November. And it is working with Ofcom to compel BT and other companies to share their infrastructure with other companies to help deliver broadband targets.

In November 2011, the DCMS will publish the results of community-led broadband trials in the Highlands and Islands, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Herefordshire. And it could instruct government agency Broadband Delivery UK to allocate broadband rollout funding to communities after the 2012 digital switchover, in cases where established providers have not installed the infrastructure.

All government departments published business plans yesterday, and many included IT strategy information.

The Cabinet Office announced it will introduce a new IT procurement process – a report is due in May 2011. The Home Office confirmed it may introduce legislation to end the storage without good reason of internet and email information.