Calls intensify for 'super-fast' broadband

Discussions over the future of broadband in the UK have resulted in additional pressure on the government to push ahead with a national fibre to the home network, according to reports.

At the Westminster eForum event it was highlighted that a new 'super-fast' fibre broadband network would cost around £15 billion, at least £1 billion less than the proposed London Crossrail route.

Ericsson's UK chief technology officer John Cunliffe added that this cost could be spread over 50 years, further reducing the financial burden while the UK would enjoy hugely improved internet connection speeds.

Countries such as South Korea have already embraced the high-speed services and now the country's web connections are regularly around 50 megabits per second - an example that France has pledged to follow.

But the idea of introducing fibre to the home in the UK is still embryonic, with debates over red tape still raging.

However, the Westminster eForum is seen as a warm-up for next week's summit hosted by the Department for Business, Employment and Regulatory Reform (formerly the DTI) where an attempt will be made to hammer out a plan for the UK's next generation of broadband services.