Slashdot Mirror
The State of UK Broadband — Not So Fast
Barence writes "The deplorable speed of British broadband connections has been revealed in the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, which show that 42.3% of broadband connections are slower than 2Mb/sec. More worryingly, the ONS statistics are based on the connection's headline speed, not actual throughput, which means that many more British broadband connections are effectively below the 2Mb/sec barrier. Better still, a separate report issued yesterday by Ofcom revealed that the majority of broadband users had no idea about the speed of their connection anyway."
Yes, unfortunately those places aren't the other half of the country where our connections outright suck and BT refuses to do anything about it.
Inner city slums full of chavs wanting to browse the latest video of their mates beating up some granny in the street get far better connections for doing this than better off, semi-rural to rural locations with people who are better off because they work hard or have done well for themselves through entrepeneurial spirit, people who actually contribute to the economy.
I'm not generalising here and saying everyone with good connections all live in slums or anything, nor am I saying all people in nice rural areas have necessarily worked hard. I'm also not saying people who just want to use YouTube shouldn't have better connections than those who do things that benefit the country. What I am saying however is that the broadband disparity does actually lower the country's potential and it's a problem the government wont solve because as with their ideas for intrusive surveillance, their threatened legislation against file sharing they simply don't understand technology and the internet specifically.
Of course, even if it's not a problem for you now, can you be sure you wont move house some day and find out the location can't get more than 1mbps or perhaps can't even get broadband at all? I think everyone accepts some areas get great broadband connections- most of London, central Birmingham, Manchester and places like that. The problem is the crappy connections exist everywhere else and something needs to be done about it, just as Britain was slow about adopting broadband in the first placing leaving it years behind we're finding ourselves in the same situation with next generation broadband. The UKs internet infrastructure is an abysmal joke.
So yesterday the Chancellor announced a massive boost to the economy. Loads to be spent on construction of yet more fucking schools, hospitals and roads.
Not a penny on wiring the country up for fibre. We could have everyone on 50Mb broadband for a fraction of the dosh but once again because we're ruled by failed arts and humanities graduates and lead by ex-lawyers. The one opportunity they have to lay the foundations for a 21st Century economy and we're going to divert money to moving dumb matter around more quickly.