The UK government has unveiled a bold plan to help the country move out of recession as part of a wide ranging ‘Digital Britain’ report (PDF).
The full report compiled by Lord Carter for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport is due in the summer but interim findings were released today.
The package of measures would include everyone having access to 2Mb per second broadband by 2012.
Secretary of state Andy Burnham told the Commons that broadband would become a necessary public service, similar using the telephone or postal service.
The report suggests working in partnership with Internet service providers to achieve this goal, ensuring services will be affordable to all.
The BBC, due in part to the popularity of its BBC iPlayer service may also be asked to help foot the bill to ensure broadband for all.
The report states that over nine in ten households can already get first generation broadband. Six in ten households have already adopted it, a higher percentage than most other major economies.
The benefits of universal 2Mb broadband are obvious says Lord Carter, with people enjoying access to information, education, e-commerce, including special tariff deals, BBC licence fee funded services, public services, including health and schools.
The UK digital economy is thought to be worth around 50bn, and universal broadband should help stimulate commerce at a time when many companies are struggling financially due to the recession.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said broadband was: "As essential to our future prosperity in the 21st Century as roads, bridges, trains and electricity were in the 20th".
"Even at this difficult time for the economy, we will not turn our backs on the future, we will build bridges to the future," he said.
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