UK urged to step up fibre broadband rollouts

Europe has just 2.5 million FTTH connections, compared to 38 million in Asia

The UK must rapidly increase its deployment of fibre to ensure that consumers and businesses get the most from internet applications that require high-speed connections, according to the Fibre to the Home (FTTH) Council.

The industry body told V3.co.uk that the UK and the rest of the European Union risk being left behind if FTTH connections are not improved.

"In the UK there are just 5,000 homes with FTTH connections, and only around 2.5 million in Europe. In the Far East, where government regulation is much more proactive, some 38 million people are connected directly via fibre," said FTTH Council president Chris Holden.

"The Digital Agenda for Europe document goes some way to addressing this by setting targets for the future, but there are still many issues that we feel are being glossed over that FTTH could solve."

The FTTH Council welcomed the EU's aim to give all citizens broadband access by 2013, and everyone 30Mbit/s connections by 2020, but said that issues of upload and minimum speeds remain unclear.

"Often upload speeds are not factored into targets. For home workers or businesses, the need to upload files is vital in order to offer services, while many firms promise 'up to' speeds that rarely reach anywhere near their upper limit," said Holden.

"We want to see clearer targets set out to ensure symmetrical speeds for upload and download, and to make sure that people are aware of the difference and the fact that most fibre networks run only to the cabinet."

Holden also said that the FTTH Council is examining the government's position on broadband, noting that the Tories had outlined more ambitious plans than Labour, but that spending cuts could hinder this expansion.

"UK businesses could fall behind their European counterparts if networks are not suitably upgraded to handle new technologies that could improve their market position, such as videoconferencing," he said.