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Britain is currently towards the bottom of the European league table on full fibre penetration levels
Boris Johnson has kicked off his bid to become the UK’s next Prime Minister, by stressing the importance of consolidating the country’s digital infrastructure.
In an editorial piece published in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson said that if he was to be elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party, he would guarantee 100 per cent fibre to the home (FTTH) broadband penetration by 2025.
"It is a disgrace that this country should suffer from a deep digital divide, so that many rural areas and towns are simply left behind," he said.
The UK government has currently pledged to provide 100 per cent FTTH coverage by the end of 2033, but Mr Johnson said he would bring that target forward to 2025 – calling the previous target "laughably unambitious".
FTTH penetration levels have risen sharply in the past 12 months but are still only hovering around the 7 per cent mark. Britain is languishing far behind its European neighbours in terms of fibre rollout, many of whom have already achieved penetration levels above 50 per cent.
Mr Johnson has yet to supply any of the logistical details to illustrate how his government would achieve such a comprehensive fibre rollout on an extremely ambitious timeline.
Representatives from the UK government will be on hand to discuss the UK’s FTTH rollout plans at Connected Britain 2019 this week. Click here to find out how you can attend the show.
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Truespeed launches 10Gbps residential broadband services in the UK
Connected Britain 2019: What’s next for the UK’s fledgling 5G and FTTH networks?
