UK broadband rollout in line with global competition, says ITU

ITU secretary-general says broadband "transformational to economic and social progress"

UK competing globally on broadband price and market penetration says ITU

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has released broadband statistics showing that the UK is keeping up with global competitors on price and market penetration.

Monthly fixed-line broadband subscriptions in the UK cost just 0.63 per cent of the average monthly income, compared with 0.5, 1.0 and 1.2 per cent in the US, France and Germany respectively.

The UK has fixed line broadband penetration of 30 per cent per 100 inhabitants compared with 27, 31 and 30 per cent in the US, France and Germany respectively.

ITU secretary-general Hamadoun Touré said: “Broadband is today’s transformational technology. Through services such as e-health, e-education and e-government, broadband will power economic and social progress in the 21st century.”

So, about 30 per cent of people in wealthy Western Europe countries now have broadband subscriptions, costing one per cent or less of their monthly incomes.

This contrasts with many of the world’s poorest countries, where ITU statistics show fixed line broadband penetration is below one per cent and broadband access can cost more than 100 per cent of the average monthly income.