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Broadband investment 'should be targeted at existing services'
Although research into the future development of 'ultra-fast' broadband services has been welcomed by the telecommunications industry this month, some industry experts believe government investment should be used to improve existing network solutions.
Earlier this month, the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) announced that £1 million will be invested in several feasibility studies to lay the foundations for broadband speeds of between one and ten Gigabits per second.
However, Chris Marling, editor of Broadband Genie, has questioned the TSB's priorities at a time when many internet users are struggling to access adequate speeds on their existing connections.
"Why aren't more of its funds being spent on improving our inadequate existing fibre-optic cables?" he said.
"We understand the TSB wants to ensure UK businesses will be at the leading edge of technology in the future, but perhaps some of this money would be better spent dragging our current services into the 21st century."
Mr Marling claimed that the broadband services of many users in the UK struggle to process "simple tasks" due to low bandwidth and the lack of reliable high-speed networks.
A recent survey from broadband.co.uk found that the country's average broadband speed surpassed 4 Megabits per second for the first time last month, reaching 4.137Mbps.
However, a separate speed test from Broadband Genie discovered that over half of the services it examined were still providing speeds of less than 2Mbps.
In addition, a recent study from the firm claimed that the majority of British broadband users receive less than half the 'up to' speed promised by their internet service provider.
However, the TSB appears to have set its sights on investigating the long-term benefits of ultra-fast broadband.
Mike Biddle, the body's lead technologist, explained that researchers will collaborate with similar projects in Europe to establish a basis for a 'pan-European ultra-fast broadband system', something which is described by the TSB as "the ultimate aim".
He commented: "Putting together an optical broadband capability across the whole of Europe will fundamentally change the way that businesses operate and will give European companies a major competitive edge.Imagine the efficiencies that could be achieved through broadband that is up to 1,000 times faster than we have now."
"Then add the opportunities for more flexible working arrangements, including an increase in remote working, and you begin to see the many advantages."
Support for flexible and remote working certainly seems to be growing within the small enterprise community, with a recent survey from Citrix Online claiming that 81 per cent of small firm owners believe flexible hours are crucial to business success.
However, whether these enterprises favour long-term research projects over short-term technological improvements remains to be seen, particularly in the current economic climate.
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