Lord Carter Pushed For Universal Broadband Across Europe By 2013

After setting up plans for universal broadband in UK, Lord Stephen Carter has now called upon all European states to provide universal access to wired or wireless broadband in their territories by 2013, The Telegraph reported.

Lord Carter of Barnes, in a co-authored piece with the EU Commissioner for Technology and Broadcasting, Viviane Reding, has pitched hopes for economic recovery of European markets to the digital industries.

After releasing the Digital Britain Report last month, in which the UK Minister for Communications put forth a new landline levy to fuel universal broadband, measures to tackle internet piracy, as well as a 2015 digital radio switch-over date, Lord Carter and Reding are now presenting the notion of Digital Europe.

Discussing their plans for Digital Europe, the duo said, “We must ensure that Europe has a world class digital infrastructure, wired and wireless. We should set a goal for Europe to have high performing fixed and wireless broadband infrastructures which reach all Europeans by 2013.”

They further noted that the governments should free up required spectrum for upcoming wireless services across Europe, and faster switchover from analogue to digital television.

In a related story, a Westminster Media Forum was flooding with concerns that the road map of the digital economy presented by Lord Carter could be blocked by the future Conservative government, and that departure of Lord Carter could seriously affect the progress on the plans slated in the report.

Along the same line, Emma Gilthorpe, BT director for industry policy and regulation, said in a statement, “We are very nervous that the hard work will lose momentum following Carter’s departure, but we will see who the successor is in two weeks time”. 

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