01 Dec 2008

Super-fast broadband in demand, expert says

Evidence of internet capacity take-up supports the claim that super-fast broadband in the UK is in demand, an expert has suggested.

Mark Gregory, head of communications at Ernest & Young, commented that each increase in internet capacity has so far been fully consumed and taken up.

This indication of demand justifies ongoing efforts to introduce super-fast broadband to the UK, he suggested.

"As an investor I do regard that as a bond that I would be prepared to invest against," Mr Gregory added.

Virtualisation technology and the growth of cloud computing could be spurred by the roll-out of faster broadband in the UK.

Mr Gregory's comments came at the Westminster eForum keynote seminar, entitled Next Generation Broadband, where he warned that the introduction of new broadband technology could be held back if the UK gets stuck on trying to justify premium business models for this infrastructure roll-out.

Broadband has reached 58 per cent of homes in less than eight years, according to statistics published in an Office of Communications report in September.