Ofcom promises UK broadband debate

Ofcom is to examine ways to keep UK internet services in line with countries such as Japan, Korea and Germany

Ofcom is to investigate the future of super-fast broadband in the UK in an attempt to bring the nation's broadband network up to speed with other countries.

The regulator will examine ways to keep UK internet services in line with countries such as Japan, Korea and Germany, where speeds of up to 100Mbps are already being rolled out.

Ofcom's announcement comes just seven days after Minister for Competitiveness Stephen Timms warned broadband companies that the government may intervene to hasten the roll-out of high-speed services.

The consultation will lay out options for the UK, including so-called 'fibre to the kerb' which would offer speeds of up to 50Mbps. Experts claim that a nationwide fibre network would cost up to £15bn to deploy.

Ofcom will also examine regulation and competition options for such a network, which would need to be open to all operators in the same way that BT's network is accessible to its broadband rivals.

Current UK broadband speeds reach an average of 4.6Mbps, according to Ofcom, rising to around 24Mbps when next-generation ADSL begins rolling out next year. Cable company Virgin Media is currently trialling speeds of up to 50Mbps.

"BT welcomes the chance to discuss this issue with Ofcom, the government and the wider industry," said a BT spokesperson.

The telco, which claims that more than 120,000 UK businesses already use fibre broadband, said that it would look at a fibre network "where it makes commercial sense".

A study by vnunet.com's sister title Computeractive found that 62 per cent of UK broadband users are achieving less than 50 per cent of their advertised speed.

The magazine's Crystal Clear Broadband campaign will challenge Ofcom and the broadband industry to improve clarity in broadband contracts for UK internet users.