Not right time for public intervention on NGA - report

The government should not intervene to help create a next-generation access (NGA) network but should "create the conditions" that will deliver one in the next five years, according to an independent report.

Francesco Caio, vice chairman of Lehman Brothers Europe, wrote the study, The Next Phase of Broadband UK, which found that there were good signs of investment in NGA by companies like Virgin Media and BT as well as communities trialling new methods of deployment.

However, despite the telecoms industry being capable of delivering NGA, the government and Ofcom need to have a leadership role.

"Although demand for bandwidth and Internet traffic continues to exhibit strong growth, there is little evidence that in the short term the UK is going to suffer from the lack of an extensive next generation access network," he said.

"But it is the right time to create the conditions that will deliver a competitive NGA infrastructure in the next five years."

Some of the measures the government should be taking, the report recommended, include supporting the development of local access networks and working with the construction industry to make sure all new homes have NGA broadband.