Not all of us use the Internet yet but it is transforming the way things happen in the world. One example is that many people now get information and entertainment online rather than via traditional newspapers, TV or books, and like to keep in touch face to face over the Internet rather than on the phone or by traveling to meetings. Many businesses couldn’t survive or even exist without the marketing, distribution and productivity opportunities that being connected reliably to the wide audience of people and other companies online gives. And new services like telemedicine depend on fast connections.
Being able to connect fast and reliably onto the Internet is essential for us to take part in the transformation and contribute our ideas, products and services to what is available out there on the “worldwide web”. That is why the Government is focused on getting good connections made available to as many people as possible as fast as can be done.
In Somerset progress is being made on the first phase of government incentives to get 90% of the population the ability to subscribe to super fast broadband. The second phase, to take this percentage to 95% plus, is in negotiation at the moment, with the sticking point having been that BT, who are the contractor on the first phase, have not yet been able to guarantee 95% by 2017, which is the ambition of both the government and the local authorities involved in providing the subsidy.
One problem we have had is that some of the first 90%, which was allocated to BT some time ago on a commercial basis, has not yet been mar available to clients. This includes some of the new estates and industrial parks in Yeovil, and I have been keen to encourage BT to make connections available in those areas as fast as possible. I hope we will have some good news on a couple of crucial cabinets being lit up in Yeovil which will enable that, over the next few weeks, and we recently had a crucial cabinet in Crewkerne extend the availability there.
I would encourage people to look on the Connecting Devon and Somerset web site to see whether their area is connected over the next few weeks, and to ask their Internet Service Provider and indeed other providers, to see what super fast deal might be available to them. The more connections that are actually made, the more incentive there will be for the roll-out to be completed.
The Government remains committed to finding ways to get 100% coverage by 2020 and is examining different ways to get there. In Somerset it has confirmed that the match funding for the subsidy on the 95% coverage contract remains available and it is seeking to extend the state aid exemption that has been in place until this year. It is examining the possibility of a universal service obligation and OFCOM is conducting a review that will include looking at whether the market structure may need to change so as to allow all of the different broadband retailers to contribute to the capital cost of getting fast, efficient broadband coverage throughout the UK.
What we certainly know is that it doesn’t matter whether we are in town or deep in the countryside - broadband and mobile signal are essential to modern life and new business opportunities.