Digital divide

AS Labour and Tory try to trump each other's rival election plans for the expansion of super-fast broadband, and reduce the likelihood of rural areas being left on the wrong side of a digital divide, they seem to have overlooked the spare capacity that already exists.

This was borne out by Ofcom's report that urges British Telecom to open up its network of telegraph poles and underground ducts to competitors. It is an eminently sensible move that will see far more homes and businesses linked up to high-speed broadband than any of the rival plans unveiled by the main parties.

Of course, BT will question why its infrastructure should be used by rivals. Yet this argument is negated by the fact that it will be able to charge other operators for this privilege as broadband becomes

big business.

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This is also countered by a social need for all areas, urban and rural, to have access to a reliable internet service – a service that is becoming more essential by the day as the technology evolves. It is a principle that all future policy should abide by.

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