Government Announces £10m Rural Broadband Trial

The government has announced plans for a £10 million trial of alternative wireless technologies that could be used to extend superfast broadband to 98 percent of the UK population by 2018.

Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, says the trial forms part of the government’s national infrastructure plan, which also includes plans for driverless cars, and will allow the UK to establish itself as a leader in new technology.

Mobile Infrastructure Project

“We’ll need to have the right digital networks in place to support those industries of the future,” he explains. “That’s why we’ve decided to open – as part of this update – a new £10 million competitive fund … which will market-test the kind of bold and inventive solutions that could deliver broadband to the most difficult to reach parts of the UK.

“No area – no matter how remote – should be left behind.”

The government has allocated £250 million to provide superfast broadband to areas of the country that will not be covered by the existing £530 million Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme, which is aiming for 90 percent coverage by 2015.

BDUK has been subject to a number of criticisms, not least that all the available money under the initiative has been allocated to BT and that it has been focussed exclusively on fixed line connections.

Rural broadband

However the government is keen to get mobile operators on board for the Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) with LTE long being touted as a way of solving so-called rural-not spots. Vodafone, which launched its 4G service in August, has welcomed the trial.

“The government’s decision is a real step in the right direction and signals a willingness to be pragmatic when it comes to rural broadband,” said a spokesperson. “We welcome the news and look forward to continuing our dialogue with Government about the opportunity 4G can deliver irrespective of where you live.”

Three has said it supports the MIP, while EE will also be pleased at the development given its calls for more government support for the rollout of 4G. It recently extended its LTE network to rural Cumbria, claiming to have brought superfast broadband to the region at a fraction of the cost of a comparable fibre rollout.

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