Europe will be a broadband continent by 2010?
29th September 2008
“Access for all” is the European strapline for broadband internet, and the target is all Europeans will have it by 2010. This will be a tall order considering the digital divide that exists in so many countries especially those who will find it difficult to even afford broadband in the first place.
Current statistics show that 36% of people in Europe have high speed broadband, however the mbps rate of this “high speed” is not defined. The European Commission (EC) will develop a policy to ensure the target of all Europeans have broadband connections by 2010 regardless of the country in which they live. This particular part is because it can vary dramatically between progressed countries such as Scandinavia and obviously, Belguim, being the centre of the EU compared to newly introduced countries like Romania.
An obligation policy that currently states all EU citizens should have access to basic telephone services, which also must have sufficient internet access defined as a speed of 28.8 kilobits per second. This will now be reviewed to ensure ISPs are providing the best internet connections possible for European residents and whether dial-up (narrowband) services should now be considered defunct.
This is being presented as a consultation exercise, as the EC welcome feedback from national Governments, telecommunication companies and EU residents to see whether legislation is needed. Everyone should be able to access high speed broadband internet, regardless of where they live or how much money they make. So much of the world is now accessible online and to be able to use this effectively is invaluable for the economy, inclusion and learning (to name a few). Join the consultation and have your say!
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