Political parties divided over 2017 broadband plans

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Manifestos reveal different speed and reach targets

Analysis of the three main political parties' internet access plans has revealed that they have similar ambitions to provide every UK citizen with broadband by 2012, but their goals differ in the quality of broadband that is to be achieved.

These are the findings from a report released today by broadband information site thinkbroadband.com.

The government made a Universal Service Commitment in the Digital Britain report released last year to provide almost everyone in the UK with a 2Mbit/s broadband service in two years' time.

Both the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats support the plans, although the latter has argued that 2Mbit/s is an "unambitious target".

The government and the Conservative Party have a two-stage approach when it comes to broadband - establish universal broadband access and then increase the quality of the service - but the Liberal Democrats believe that the two stages should be integrated.

"It is important to have a minimum standard of service, but 2Mbit/s is an unambitious target," said a Liberal Democrat spokesman in an email to thinkbroadband.com, and seen by V3.co.uk.

"We think it makes sense to combine this project with the rollout of high-speed broadband, meaning that some places currently without any broadband access could receive a next-generation connection."

When it comes to the second stage, which is after 2012, the parties begin to differ more in their strategies.

The government plans to make 'next-generation broadband' available to 90 per cent of the UK by 2017, according to the Digital Britain report and a speech yesterday by prime minister Gordon Brown. This will be funded by a 50p per month levy on fixed phone lines, which is expected to raise £1bn over seven years.

The Conservative Party plans to provide a broadband service of 100Mbit/s to the "majority of homes" by 2017 funded by using a portion of the BBC licence fee after 2012, and by creating more incentives for businesses to enter the market currently dominated by BT.

"We have proposed that BT opens up access to its underground ducts and overground telegraph poles in order that rivals can lay their own fibre and allow a greater degree of competition in the market," said a Tory spokesman in an email to thinkbroadband.com, also seen by V3.co.uk.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats plan to give the "vast majority" of the country access to broadband of 40Mbit/s by 2017. Unlike the other parties, the Liberal Democrats will help those most excluded from broadband services first.

"While it won't be possible for absolutely everyone to receive next-generation access, intervention is needed now. Money must be deployed swiftly or else a digital divide will develop," said the spokesman in the email.

"We would adopt an 'outside in' approach to investment, targeting areas that are unlikely to be reached by the market first to ensure that the natural development of the market is not stifled."

The Liberal Democrats support the monthly levy proposed by Labour and oppose the Conservative Party's BBC licence fee approach. However the Liberal Democrats welcomed the decision by the Tories to open up BT ducts to more competition.

Sebastien Lahtinen, co-founder of thinkbroadband.com, suggested that, even though the parties differ on their policies for 2017, the difference in how much they will each benefit the country is small.

"Until 2012 all the parties are talking the same language. Afterwards the Conservatives have proposed 100Mbit/s but only to the 'majority' of homes. We don't know whether this means 51 per cent or something more," he said.

"The Labour Party has said it will provide faster broadband to 90 per cent of homes, but has not said what faster means. It could be 20Mbit/s, 50Mbit/s or faster. And while the Liberal Democrats have said they want to supply 40Mbit/s broadband to the vast majority of the country, we have no idea how big a majority this will be.

"So when you combine what the parties promise in terms of speed and reach of the broadband services, they work out similar."

Linda Weatherhead, digital rights expert at Consumer Focus, said that she did not favour one party policy over another.

"While we welcome the government's commitment to universal broadband access and public service delivery online, it's easy to forget that not everyone can afford the internet or feels it is relevant to them," she said.

"The government must do more to overcome the barriers to people getting online, and ensure that public services are still accessible in a variety of other formats.

"The ambition to roll out superfast broadband nationally is welcome, but we need a concrete means of dealing with inequality of service and provision to make this vision a reality.

"We also remain concerned about the proposed 50p monthly charge on landlines to pay for this. Not all landline holders will necessarily benefit from the changes, and we don't want to see a situation where the poorest landline holders are paying for a service they don't use."

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