EC Agrees New Measures For Digital Agenda

The European Commission has adopted a package of measures designed to give every European access to basic broadband by 2013 and fast and ultra-fast broadband (30Mbps or above) by 2020 – one of the key goals of the Digital Agenda for Europe, published in May.

The package consists of three measures, which include providing a common regulatory approach to broadband rollout, encouraging investment in high and ultra-high speed networks and ensuring that sufficient spectrum is made available by 2013 for wireless broadband.

“Fast broadband is digital oxygen, essential for Europe’s prosperity and well-being,” said Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda . “These measures will help to ensure that Europeans get the first-class Internet they expect and deserve, so that they can access the content and services they want.”

Broadband in Europe

Europe as a region currently has the highest average levels of broadband uptake worldwide, according to the EC, with nearly a quarter of residents having access to a broadband connection. However only one percent of Europeans have a high-speed fibre Internet connection directly into their homes, compared to 12 percent of Japanese and 15 percent of South Koreans.

• The Commission’s recommendation on regulated access to Next Generation Access networks gives national regulators the tools to support new entrants to the market, and to handle investment from established market players. It aims to enable market entry and foster competition from alternative operators, allowing them to climb the “ladder of investment” and gradually to deploy their own network infrastructure.
• In its communication on encouraging investment in fast and ultra-fast broadband networks, the Commission calls on EU member states to introduce operational broadband plans with concrete implementation measures. It provides guidance on how to cut investment costs and indicates how public authorities may support broadband investment. It also announces plans by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank to bring forward broadband finance instruments.
• Finally, the Commission’s proposal regarding the EU’s radio spectrum includes steps to promote efficient spectrum management and, in particular, to ensure that sufficient spectrum is made available for wireless broadband. The EC claims this will significantly contribute to bringing fast broadband connections to people in remote areas, where it is not economically viable to install cable networks.

International action

The news coincides with a call from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for global leaders to make access to high-speed networks a basic civil right and ensure that more than half the world has access to broadband networks by 2015.

“Broadband is the next tipping point, the next truly transformational technology,” said Dr Hamadoun Touré, secretary general of the ITU. “It can generate jobs, drive growth and productivity, and underpin long-term economic competitiveness. It is also the most powerful tool we have at our disposal in our race to meet the Millennium Development Goals, which are now just five years away.”

However, a report (pdf) by the Broadband Commission for Digital Development highlights enormous disparities in broadband affordability worldwide, meaning that those who can least afford it often pay the most for access.

Meanwhile, the UK government is currently working to get the last remaining ten million Brits online before the end of 2012. However, the government’s digital champion, Martha Lane Fox, has been given no budget to complete the task. According to analyst firm Ovum, the government’s market-driven approach to broadband rollout could result in a widening of the digital divide in Britain – with urban households signing up to 50Mbps, while small villages are left far behind.