03.27.09
Broadband Not a Popular Choice in Britain
Speaking at the London School of Economics, Ed Richards, Chief Executive of Ofcom said that he was concerned that more than half the British population does not have any interest in a broadband service. He said that people are being made aware of the numerous advantages that a broadband connection could bring to them such as online banking and on demand entertainment, but this has not tempted them to go in for a broadband connection.
It was also revealed that out of more than 55% who were not interested in availing broadband services, 30% felt it would be an additional burden on their financial resources, which they could ill afford. Another 15% did not possess a computer at all, so the question of having a broadband connection was irrelevant. For info on cheap broadband options, try Broadband Genie.
Mr. Richards was of the opinion that what needed to be first investigated was why almost 40% of the population (mostly in the low-income group) did not even have the most basic internet connection. He also said that instead of just focusing on the planned 2Mbps service across the country, a better option economically would be to first provide a more basic connectivity to these households.
The statistics are likely to irk the government as it moves ahead with its Digital Britain agenda and the problem of overcoming the cost barriers to an internet connection would not be an easy one to solve.
