Broadband: Universal Service Obligation Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
Countess of Mar
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Broadband: Universal Service Obligation
Countess of Mar Excerpts(6 years, 1 month ago)
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Lord Ashton of Hyde
My Lords, we want to do both. We want to make sure that everyone has at least a minimum speed, and we are also investing very large amounts in full-fibre network, because it is on fibre-optic cable that everything depends in terms of mobile communications and higher speeds throughout the country, including rural areas.
The Countess of Mar (CB)
My Lords, can the Minister explain why remote parts of mountainous Norway and even remoter villages in China can have high-speed broadband but we in the United Kingdom cannot?
Lord Ashton of Hyde
There are mountainous parts of this country that have high-speed broadband. It is a question of getting the infrastructure in place. Broadband availability has gone up from 45% to 95% in seven years because the Government and local authorities, together with private industry, have invested a substantial amount of money.