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The UK has a range of options on the fixed line and mobile sectors to help it reduce its digital divide, according to Huawei’s Victor Zhang
Bringing next generation mobile and fixed line connectivity to the UK’s rural and hard-to-reach communities, should be a key priority for the country, according to senior representatives from Huawei.
Speaking exclusively to Total Telecom ahead of his key note address at Connected Britain later this week, Huawei’s president for global government affairs, Victor Zhang, said that bridging the country’s digital divide was crucial to the UK’s long term development.
“The lack of fibre deployment has really affected connectivity in the UK, particularly in rural areas. Also, we must remember that bringing connectivity to hard to reach, rural locations demands a very long investment cycle before an operator will see a return on that investment. So, it’s a big challenge,” he said.
Zhang remained upbeat about the UK’s prospects for reaching its self-imposed target of providing superfast broadband services to 95 per cent of the population.
“We now have options for rural connectivity. We can use fibre, but if there is no fibre in the ground, we can use next generation, microwave spectrum to provide wireless broadband services in a cost-effective manner.
“When we talk about connectivity in the UK, we are not just talking about the city dwellers in London or Edinburgh. We are also talking about the rural communities across the country. We have a responsibility to bring connectivity to them as well. I think the UK has a bright future,” he said.
Victor Zhang will be discussing Huawei’s plans for connectivity in the UK during his key note address at 10:30am on Wednesday 19th June, at Connected Britain 2019. Click here for a full agenda.
Keep your eyes peeled for our full interview with Victor Zhang, which will be published on Tuesday. In this exclusive and candid interview, Zhang discusses Huawei’s role as a 5G player in the UK along with the current security discussions surrounding Huawei in the US and the UK.
