Government blasted over ‘litany’ of broadband failures
Small businesses could be locked out of full-fibre broadband for years to come due to a “litany” of failures by the government, MPs have warned.
In a damning report published today, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the government had failed to make “any meaningful progress” in securing the policy and legislative changes needed to ensure a successful rollout.
It added that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DMCS) had committed less than a quarter of the £5bn funding needed to support the project and was unable to say when it would deliver major milestones.
Full-fibre broadband access formed a key part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s election manifesto, and he pledged to bring the new network to all parts of the UK by 2025.
But in its National Infrastructure Strategy published in November the government watered down this target, promising instead gigabit-capable coverage to 85 per cent of the country by 2025.
Even with this reduced target, the PAC warned the rollout would be “challenging” and said the hardest-to-reach premises would be struggling with slow broadband for many years to come.
Only 14 per cent of UK homes currently have access to full-fibre broadband, and ministers have faced scrutiny over the pledge amid concerns the target will be missed.
Much of the focus has been placed on remote rural areas, which are harder to reach and less economically viable for broadband providers.
The industry has also called for a slashing of red tape to speed up the rollout. This includes making changes to planning regulations, business rates treatment of fibre and requirements for new-build properties.
The issue has been thrown into greater relief by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to home working.
A dozen small businesses wrote to culture secretary Oliver Dowden in October warning a failure to meet rollout targets would “disproportionately” impact their firms, as high-speed broadband connections were critical to SMEs.
“With the grim announcement that the country and economy will be locked down for months, the government’s promises on digital connectivity are more important than ever,” said PAC chair Meg Hillier.
“But due to a litany of planning and implementation failures at DCMS, those promises are slipping farther and farther out of reach — even worse news for the ‘rural excluded’ who face years trying to recover with substandard internet connectivity.”