Innovation key to UK broadband take-up

Around 70 per cent of Brits are currently online

A greater range of innovative online services is required if the government is to come good on its pledge to get every citizen online by 2015, according to industry experts.

Sean Williams, managing director of strategy at BT Retail, said at the Britain's Digital Future event today that, while Britain has a level of internet take-up of around 70 per cent, it is services such as Project Canvas that will push this further.

"The Project Canvas drive for a platform to offer customers a choice between broadcast television and internet-hosted shows will drive more take-up of broadband services due to the ubiquity and comfort of using a television over a computer," he said.

"We could hope to see penetration of broadband rise from 70 per cent to maybe 90 per cent if the service goes ahead. We would urge Virgin and Sky to end their campaign to kill Canvas, as there is no case for it to be regarded as anti-competitive."

The issue of what will encourage more users to get online was also touched on by Sarah Hunter, head of public policy at Google, who suggested that offering access is not enough to drive greater use of the web.

"Widespread fast broadband is not the same as connectivity. Use of broadband in South Korea is actually lower than in other nations, such as the Nordic countries. The 'build it and they will come' theory is simply not true," she said.

"Innovation will stimulate demand. The services on offer need to be compelling and useful. Public policy frameworks could influence what services are brought online. It's about asking what you want to give people online as well as just giving them access."