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‘Digital Britain’ Report Promises Broadband For All [And Some Sneaky ISP Snooping]
Forget Little Britain because we're all meant to be gearing up for Digital Britain. The long awaited 'Digital Britain' government interim report from Lord Carter has been published and the upshot is this: a successful Britain must be a Digital Britain. So how does Lord Carter propose we get there? The weighty 88-page document lays out plans to ensure that every home in the UK has broadband and faster download speeds by 2012. As we already reported, Carter wants there to be a "Universal Service Commitment" like BT's existing obligation to provide fixed-line telephone services to everyone. Unfortunately, the report does not say how this will be funded and it's highly unlikely that BT will agree to picking up the tab alone. Presenting the report, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "Our digital networks will be the backbone of our economy in the decades ahead. It is as essential to our prosperity in the 21st century as roads, bridges, trains and electricity were in the 20th." Broadband news UKThere are also proposals designed to force mobile phone companies to open up the radio spectrum for 4th generation services by the time of the Olympics in 2012. For surfers, the government is hoping to crack down on illegal Internet downloading by insisting that ISPs warn people when they are spotted illegally downloading content. The report proposes that the details of repeat offenders should be handed over to music and movie companies so they can take legal action. The idea of ISPs actively monitoring where you go and what you do online is sure to spark some heated debate. On the TV front, Carter's report suggests a tie-up between Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide, saying the C4's future lay in becoming a "second public service organisation". As for radio, the report pushes hard for digital radio and claimed that FM radio could be switched off within 10 years. Carter says he plans to shut off FM radio once 50% of radio listening is digital - it's under 20% right now. Check out the full report here. It's been attacked, as expected, by rival political parties as being too general and not going far enough to boost Britain's digital future. What do you think?-Martin Lynch
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