MPs to investigate broadband speeds

"Death by committee syndrome" Andrew Ferguson of ThinkBroadband calls it, and it's hard to argue with.

The Business and Enterprise Select Committee is launching an enquiry into broadband speeds in the wake of the Digital Britain report, with them looking at whether the minimum service obligation of at least 2Mb broadband for every home is "ambitious enough" along with whether the proposed 50p per month (levied on land lines) 'broadband tax' to fund next generation networks is fair.

Ferguson said:

"The direction of broadband in the UK is running a real risk of suffering a death by committee syndrome, when other countries have set their countries and working towards actual network builds.

An unpopular truth is that if we as a nation want faster broadband, we will have to pay for it somehow, either via a levy, tax or through the bills we pay to firms for our broadband."

Submissions are required from interested parties by September 25 - after which hopefully we can get on with it! What is actually of more interest is pondering what will happen to the recommendations with a change of government - which is looking inevitable isn't it?