» EU Official Urges Governments to Make Broadband a PriorityTelecommunications Industry News

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

EU Official Urges Governments to Make Broadband a Priority

3:40 pm on September 20, 2010 | Category: Internet, Regulation, Telecom Services, Wireless Technology

European countries need to make high-speed internet access a higher priority in order to remain competitive on the global stage, according to the European Union’s digital commissioner, Neelie Kroes.

Kroes said that local and national authorities were becoming complacent about the need to expand broadband networks, noting that Europe “cannot sit by and allow our businesses to continue to compete against Asian businesses with Internet 100 times faster than our own.”

Kroes went on to say that governments should take steps to encourage investment in digital networking, while freeing up radio spectrum for high-speed mobile broadband networks. She also recommended that future public works projects and stimulus spending be directed towards establishing new fibre-optic networks.

At the end of 2009, 94% of Europeans had access to some kind of broadband internet access, but a significant “digital divide” continues to exist between urban centres and rural areas, where only 80% can access high-speed services.

Telecommunications Industry News