97 Per Cent Coverage Of Superfast Broadband ‘By 2020’

The government has estimated that superfast broadband coverage in the UK should reach 97 per cent by March 2020.

ISPreview reported on the statement, with the government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme set to help homes and businesses in much of the country to achieve speeds of 24 Mbps or higher.

At present, 76 per cent of homes and businesses have access to this level of connectivity as a result of private investment in the network, with others served as a result of government investment.

Until now, much of the money from the £1.8 billion Broadband Delivery UK scheme has been put into developing networks in areas that aren’t deemed financially viable for private providers.

But what about the remaining three per cent of properties? Their broadband access will need to be improved using the government’s Universal Service Obligation (USO). From the end of 2019, this will mean anyone who currently doesn’t have a good internet connection is entitled to request a broadband speed of a minimum of 10 Mbps from BT (Openreach) or KCOM.

The news provider noted that in most cases, this connection will be faster than 10 Mbps. However, it could take up to one year from requesting an improved connection for it to be delivered.

Last month, the Confederation of British Industry called on the government to plough more money into upgrading the UK’s digital network, arguing that it could fall behind other countries if it fails to keep pace with new technological developments.

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