The UK Government has set a 2020 deadline for communications regulator Ofcom to fully implement its Universal Service Obligation (USO) high-speed broadband plan. BT had previously offered to spend £600m on a voluntary scheme to extend broadband access, a move that would have eliminated the need for a legal requirement. In the UK, there are currently no plans in place to roll out universal service at speeds of more than 25Mbps – which is what many people have been promised by Ofcom. The USO, which is expected to cost up to £1.1bn (£1.5bn) and will be funded by the industry and not the Government as previously proposed, was implemented under last year's Digital Economy Act. Digital Minister Margot James said the plan put high-speed broadband on a "similar footing as other essential services like water and phone lines".
The UK Government has set a 2020 deadline for communications regulator Ofcom to fully implement its Universal Service Obligation (USO) high-speed broadband plan. In the UK, there are currently no plans in place to roll out universal service at speeds of more than 25Mbps – which is what many people have been promised by Ofcom. The USO, which is expected to cost up to £1.1bn (£1.5bn) and will be funded by the industry and not the Government as previously proposed, was implemented under last year's Digital Economy Act. Digital Minister Margot James said the plan put high-speed broadband on a "similar footing as other essential services like water and phone lines".