With rumours of behind-the-scenes fall-outs and disagreements The Times newspaper has revealed that Lord Carter of Barnes, the man in charge of the digital revolution in the UK, is set to leave the government in the summer. Having come from a background which saw a reported salary of £500,000 a year to a rather more reduced £140,000 a year salary, many believe it was only matter of time before Lord Carter went back into the commercial world. So where does this leave the UK government?
There is no doubt that the rumoured imminent departure of Lord Carter will cause consternation in the government although many believe that he has already laid the groundwork for a significant improvement in UK broadband systems. He has been forced to attack a number of crucial decisions head-on, some of which have split the mobile broadband industry down the middle and continue to cause significant unrest. Some of his proposals and comments have been controversial, helpful and farsighted and there is no doubt he will be missed in some circles.
Whether his rumoured imminent departure will delay the onset of the digital revolution in the UK remains to be seen but one thing is sure, the UK government would rather not have been replacing Lord Carter at such a crucial time.