Broadband reaches two million

Government Ministers have pledged their commitment to rural broadband rollout as the UK reaches two million connections.

Technology Means Business

This coincides with research from Technology Means Business, a Government supported initiative to provide accreditation to small business technology advisers. It claims that broadband is judged to be the most important technology issue currently facing small businesses.

Technology Means Business was developed following a call from Government and leading technology companies to improve the quality and consistency of advice received by small businesses. It is an organisation within the Chartered Management Institute and supported by the DTI, under the UK Online for Business initiative and by four founding sponsors: BT, Compaq, Intel and Microsoft.

Access to broadband e-Commerce Minister Stephen Timms and Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael reconfirmed the Government's aim that every community in the UK, irrespective of location, should have the opportunity to access affordable broadband from a competitive market.

However, in the past, there has been criticism from other quarters about the unavailability of broadband in some areas and the comparatively high costs associated with it.

e-Commerce Minister Stephen Timms said: "Broadband has a great deal to offer to all communities across the UK - whether rural or urban. Government is committed to seeing everyone in the UK given the opportunity to enjoy the advantages new technology can bring.

"The level of enthusiasm we are seeing for these technologies among both businesses and consumers is great to see. The more this demand is demonstrated, the further broadband will spread, opening up access to everyone in every part of the UK.

"We now have the third most competitive broadband market in the G7 and we have hit two million connections in the UK. This just goes to show that we are heading, full speed, in the right direction."

Oftel said that the new broadband connections are running at 35,000 each week with research showing that many people are upgrading from narrowband

David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications, said: "It took two years to reach one million connections, but only seven months to reach two million, as increased competition and lower prices have boosted connection rates."