UK starts consultation on faster broadband speeds

UK STARTS CONSULTATION ON FASTER BROADBAND SPEEDS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Kate Holton]
Britain's telecommunications regulator Ofcom launched a consultation on Wednesday to chart the country's move to a super-fast broadband network needed to keep it internationally competitive. Ofcom said the time was right to address the issue as more people were turning to the Internet to watch video-on-demand or play games -- putting a strain on the current copper wire network and the speeds it can deliver. The regulator said it would aim to promote investment in future broadband Next Generation Access networks in the same way the current broadband market had developed -- by promoting competition among operators which had resulted in faster speeds and cheaper prices. It said it would not propose offering incentives to operators as this would manipulate the market but any regulation would have to reflect the risk involved as the demand for higher speeds is currently unclear.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL2686378820070926