As the UK government continues to march towards super speed broadband in the UK there are growing concerns among broadband consumers that they have not been canvassed for their opinions. The government has announced a multi-million pound package to increase broadband usage and broadband availability throughout the UK but ultimately it will be UK broadband users who will pay for this faster service.
While there has been no official confirmation as to the prices which consumers can expect to pay for super speed broadband in the future, it should be significantly higher than the prices we are seeing at the moment. It stands to reason that British Telecom will stand firm as it looks to maximise the potential return on capital on the significant investment it will be pouring into the new system. This will then increase base costs for other broadband providers, resulting in more expensive charges for consumers.
It seems as though the UK government is very keen to push ahead with the super speed broadband network but unwilling to inject significant capital into the venture to take the pressure of British Telecom and ultimately independent broadband providers in the UK. There is a case for taxpayer investment into the network but the difficulty occurs when you start mixing public sector with private sector projects.