BT’s broadband plan mocked as ‘embarrassing’
BT’S roll-out of cutting-edge broadband to millions of homes will still leave Britain lagging behind its European rivals, it was claimed last night.
The company’s cables arm, Openreach, pledged to give 3 million homes and businesses a super-fast connection to the internet by the end of 2020.
But critics attacked the ‘embarrassing’ plan’s ‘paltry ambition’ and said it would give the UK a slower network than countries such as Spain, France, Latvia and the Czech Republic. There are also fears it could lead to price hikes for customers – including those who don’t want faster connections.
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Vince Cable said: ‘While this investment is welcome, BT has massively underperformed in recent years and as a result Britain is now behind other European countries – including some that were under the communist system.
‘Most of the high-tech industries we want to be successful in will need fast internet connections and the slowness of delivery here is holding back the country greatly.’
Kevin Brennan, Labour’s spokesman for digital, culture, media and sport, added: ‘The paltry ambition shown is little short of embarrassing.’
BT has long faced criticism for not investing enough on its broadband network, with watchdog Ofcom recently suggesting it should spend less on expensive sports rights.
The company owns most of the cables that connect homes to the internet – but the vast majority still rely on Victorianera copper wires to get online.
Culture Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘Full fibre connectivity will be vital in building a Britain that’s fit for the future.’