Broadband rollout to rural areas running late

The rollout of superfast broadband to UK rural areas is about two years behind its original schedule.

13:50 05 July 2013

The National Audit Office said that the superfast broadband rollout to rural areas in UK is behind its original schedule by at least 22 months. The report suggests that only nine out of 44 rural areas would reach targets by 2015. In addition, the report found that four areas could miss a revised 2017 deadline.

The National Audit office also confirmed that it is likely that BT will win the contracts. "The rural broadband project is moving forward late and without the benefit of strong competition to protect public value," said auditor general Amyas Morse.

"For this we will have to rely on [the Department for Culture Media and Sport's] active use of the controls it has negotiated and strong supervision by [the regulator] Ofcom."

It can be remembered that in 2011, Jeremy Hunt, then Culture Secretary, said that 90% of premises in every local authority areas of the UK will have access to superfast broadband connection by May 2015. He said that time that the move will give the country the “best superfast broadband network in Europe.”

The scheme was delayed partly because it took longer than expected to get approval from the EU.