Government reveals super-fast broadband plans

Every community in the UK will gain access to super-fast broadband by 2015 under plans outlined today.

The private sector is to deliver broadband to two thirds of the UK. Other, mainly rural, areas will receive public funds to build a "digital hub" with a fibre optic internet connection.

Ministers say they aim for the UK to have Europe's best broadband network.

"The reason we want to do this is very simple -- it's about jobs," says Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Speaking to the Today Programme he said the government had a key role in "catalysing investment by the private sector" in broadband. Mr Hunt cited the example of South Korea which has high speed broadband throughout the nation and which was "90%" paid for by private firms.

The government has earmarked £830m for the scheme, with some of this money coming from funds given to the BBC to pay for the switch to digital TV.

Mr Hunt said the strategy would give the country Europe's best broadband network by 2015 and will be central to economic growth and the delivery of future public services, dependent on quick, reliable access to the internet.

Explaining why the government had abandoned the plans of the former administration that promised 2 megabits per second broadband for all by 2012, he said: "It's silly to hang your hat on a speed like two meg when the game is changing the whole time.

He added: "What we've said is that just giving people two meg is not enough, what people use the internet for is changing the whole time."

A recent study by the regulator Ofcom revealed that fewer than 1% of UK homes have a super-fast broadband connection, considered to be at least 24Mbps.

However, the government does not define the minimum speed it hopes super-fast services will achieve.

"In order to determine what constitutes 'the best' network in Europe, we will adopt a scorecard which will focus on four headline indicators: speed, coverage, price and choice," the strategy says.

"These will be made up of a number of composite measures rather than a single factor such as headline download speed."