Procurement processes at local councils moving at a snail's pace have led to the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt threatening to do a U-turn on the £530m (to potentially rise to £830m) that the government has put aside for rural broadband rollouts in areas where they would not otherwise be financially viable.Laying down the law to a commons committee the minister said:
"There is £530m on the table to help deliver this, but I have to say that if broadband contracts aren't actually signed by the end of this year I will consider taking this back.Hunt went on to emphasise the importance that the government sees in the rollout of Next Generation Broadband services, suggesting that the statements were little more than a shot across the bow of local government - and of course BT has the 'ideal' solution to the problem ... give them every penny of it.
I do not want this to get bogged down in paper procurement."
2 comments:
If Jeremy Hunt has any sense then he should pull all public funding for broadband infrastructure and instead focus any Government intervention along the lines of the Welsh and French model of broadband vouchers given to those communities who are in greatest need due to the limitations of legacy copper telephone lines.
Broadband Vouchers reward results not promises and it is results that this country needs if we are to have any hope of competing globally
Interesting - got any more information on this scheme?
H
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