News
The Universal Service Order has taken another step towards implementation as new legislation was laid in parliament today
Internet service providers in the UK will be legally obliged to provide minimum broadband speeds of 10Mbps from 2020 as new legislation was proposed in the UK parliament today.
The Universal Service Order (USO) will ultimately be administered by UK regulator Ofcom, after its discussion in parliament.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) hailed today’s announcement as a key step towards ensuring adequate connectivity for Britain’s rural and hard to reach communities.
“This commitment to universal broadband has been government policy for some time but it is still satisfying to see the enacting legislation laid. It means that the principle is now enshrined in law that no home or business should be left behind in the modern economy.
“However, our campaign continues because although this commitment is right for now, technology advances at such a speed that is essential for this law to evolve with the times. Whilst a minimum 10 Mbps download speed is adequate for now, that will change in the relatively near future," said CLA president, Tim Breitmeyer.
While the CLA welcomed the ruling, they said that there was still "work to be done" to ensure that Britain’s rural communities are not left behind in the race for better connectivity.
The Universal Service Order will be up for discussion at this year’s Connected Britain event. Click here to find out how you can be part of the discussion.
