As part of its £375 billion overhaul of the United Kingdom’s public and private infrastructure, new initiatives were recently announced by the Treasury including a new broadband fund of £10 million. Earlier this week, the Government publicized that it had plans to invest millions of pounds in testing “innovative” technologies.
They intend to bring superfast services to rural areas with the £10 million competitive fund that will open in early 2014 but few details about how potential bidders apply for funding and eligibility criteria were released. The work on communications infrastructure, waste, energy, transport, water and flood defense covered by the scheme is expected to run up to 2030 and beyond.
In a written statement concerning the broadband front, the Treasury said the fund would be used to invest in “innovative solutions.” These solution options prioritize delivery of superfast broadband services to “difficult to reach” parts of the country. As part of its bid to bring superfast broadband services to isolated areas, the Treasury will consider investing in fixed wireless, 4G and satellite technologies.
“Options may include enhanced mobile services, new fixed technologies and alternative approaches to structuring financial support, working closely with the communications industry,” the statement stipulates. Site editor at networking news site Thinkbroadband, Andrew Ferguson, said he has doubts about innovation being part of the solution, although he agrees with the necessity of the investment.
"The new £10 million investment to test new solutions is certainly welcome on paper,” he said. “However, it seems this might be more about helping the civil service understand existing solutions rather than finding new ones. We also suspect the £10 million is probably what the Government expects to be left from the old Rural Community Broadband Fund, which has largely failed."
Ferguson also suggested types of technology his organization would like to see the Government invest in such as Fiber-to-the-Premises, although this was flagged as a very expensive, 4G and satellite broadband services, which could deliver up to 20 Mbps. G.Fast, Fiber-to-the Cabinet and fixed wireless were also suggested.
"One can only wonder what rural broadband projects could achieve if funding of up to £3,000 per connection was available in the same way as the voucher scheme trial for super-connected cities worked," added Ferguson.
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