Shropshire Council welcomes broadband targets
Government plans for a legal minimum broadband speed would be complementary to speed schemes already in place, Shropshire Council bosses said today.
The Queen's Speech in May announced plans to give every household a legal right to high-speed broadband under measures to make the UK a "world leader in the digital economy".
The Government expects an initial minimum speed of at least 10 Mbps (megabits per second) under the new broadband universal service obligation (USO) included in the Digital Economy Bill, which will also include powers to direct Ofcom to review this over time to ensure it is "still sufficient for modern life".
The move will help homes in rural areas get a usable connection to the web.
Shropshire Council says that the USO announcement will not influence its own aspirations to provide superfast broadband to all homes in the area.
Chris Taylor, Connecting Shropshire programme manager, said: "The Government recently committed to introduce a Universal Service Obligation by 2020, as part of the 2016 Digital Economy Bill. This will give every household in the UK the legal right to request a fast internet connection.
"However, Shropshire Council's broadband aspirations are not influenced by the Government's recent USO announcement.
"The council sees the USO as complementary to the aims of its Local Broadband Plan but not a substitute for it."
The Local Government Association (LGA) called for a timetable for action and says it is "paramount" that the Government pressed ahead with its broadband universal service obligation following changes in the wake of the EU referendum.
The LGA said its leaders supported the creation of a national minimum broadband speed but called for a "safety net" for those who were unlikely to be covered by the plan.
Mark Hawthorne, chairman of the LGA's People and Places Board, said: "Good digital connectivity is a vital element of everyday life for residents and can help them cut household bills, shop online for cheaper goods, stay in touch with distant relatives, file tax returns and access their bank accounts.
"It is paramount that the Government maintains momentum and presses ahead with plans to enshrine the USO in law. We hope that the recent changes in Government do not delay work on the USO."
