VoIP News: Broadband

A £7. 5 million investment in broadband in Staffordshire can now be made, after the government approved the project. The county council recently confirmed it is willing to put up the sum in order to bring superfast internet to the majority of buildings in the area, with the Burton Mail noting the green light from Westminster was the final step.

The people of Leicestershire are getting behind a project that would deliver superfast business broadband and home connections in part of the county. Leicestershire County Council is hoping to pinpoint areas where there is a need for the very best internet to be rolled out in both commercial and residential spaces. To date, some 1,700 people and 300 businesses have backed the scheme, with the local authority hoping more will do so before the April 30th deadline.

The UK must move with the times and advance at a faster rate if it is to provide its companies and homeowners with broadband of a similar standard to that enjoyed by those in countries such as Japan and South Korea. Gary Barter, project manager at hosting company C4L, said the "long-term reliance" on copper infrastructure is certainly holding Britain back. While there are changes being made to transfer this system to fibre technology, they are not being implemented quickly enough or on a large scale.

The effect of the most up-to-date broadband technology will be felt in Lancashire over the next two years, with almost all of the county due to be awarded access to the very latest technology. BT has announced a tremendous economic impact is due to be experienced in the north-west, with the latest plans set to take spending on fibre internet infrastructure in the county to £130 million. That is because the telecommunications firm has agreed a deal worth £62.

A host of British companies could find themselves increasingly confused or unaware of the speeds being offered by internet service providers (ISPs) following the implementation of new regulations. The Advertising Standards Agency last year introduced new rules that said ISPs can only promote themselves with figures that relate to web speeds at least ten per cent of their customers are able to access.