It seems that despite investing billions of pounds into the UK broadband industry the Far Eastern markets always seem to come out on top. They have faster broadband, they have more reliable broadband and broadband is accessible in a vast number of public arenas, from buses to the local shopping malls. Why can’t the UK follow suit?
It would be unfair to suggest that there has not been a conscious effort by the UK broadband companies and the authorities to try and push the UK to the fore, but it always seems to be too little too late. We are currently embroiled in a war of words about the next generation of broadband services, who will pay for them, when they will be installed and whether those in the countryside will even be able to access future fibre optic networks.
Sometimes the UK authorities and the industry need to throw caution to the wind, as has happened in the Far East on a number of occasions, and invest heavily into the future. Government tax breaks for the new network and broadband research and development would also encourage firms to invest substantial sums in the future. We need to make a major push now before other areas of the world move too far ahead of the UK sector.