The UK government has today launched its £400m Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund, aimed at boosting full-fibre infrastructure.
The announcement today (3 July) of the £400million Digital Investment Fund to unlock over £1billion is welcome news for those who are going to benefit - mainly in urban areas.
This fund will support the rollout of cutting edge connections and drive economies forward, but will mainly benefit those living in cities and high-populated towns.
It has been widely accepted that fibre technology will be impossible to deliver to most rural areas.
Sarah Lee, Head of Policy, Countryside Alliance said: “The unlocking of this funding to deliver fibre to the home will be a huge boost to those who benefit but the fund will fail to deliver broadband to the final 5% in the countryside where there is already market failure.
“Once again rural communities are being treated as second class citizens and are missing out on this important boost to the economy. To deliver high speed broadband to the countryside we need to embrace and support the development of alternative technologies and not just focus on fibre.”
The UK currently has just two per cent fibre-to-the-premise connections.
The investment was announced by the government last year in its Autumn Statement.
