No easy answers

On reflection, I think my piece on Jeremy Hunt’s ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’ speech  was a little unjust to focus so narrowly on the issue of speed.  To be sure, this was very much the focus of Hunt’s remarks, and my criticism was that this emphasis risked obscuring other legitimate objectives (such as the scope for competitive provision) but, elsewhere, the speech also contained some important remarks about the necessary mix of broadband technologies.

As wireless capabilities evolve, it becomes increasingly likely that broadband access will be delivered via mobile devices – even in urban areas.  But, as Hunt pointed out: “in order to cope with capacity, we will need to get that mobile signal onto a fibre backbone as soon as possible”  

 
As Victor Keegan has pointed out in The Guardian, the recent upbeat announcements about 4G, however welcome, should not blind us to this reality.  The development of the UK’s fixed network, whatever its investment and ownership model, has to remain the key focus of attention for government and other stakeholders.