Satellite broadband could seal Britain's divide

Satellite broadband could be the answer to Britain's digital divide, according to internet industry experts.

The government needs to look at satellite technology as a solution to providing broadband across the country, says David McCourt, chief executive of Skyware Global.

Installing fibre optic cable would be too time-consuming and expensive as a way to provide broadband in rural areas.

McCourt says the cable networks are under pressure, because more people want access to data wherever they are in the world and increasingly data such as video rather than just voice.

New satellites are being developed that could offer speeds from 10Mbit/s. That's a notable upgrade from the current speeds on satellite broadband, which range from 2Mbit/s to 7Mbit/s.

At the moment, there are around 865,000 satellite broadband customers worldwide, but McCourt believes this figure could grow to anywhere between 10 and 15 million within the next few years, as the technology is made cheaper and demand grows.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• News

[peterisannoying]

Best of all if britain got it id live in the peak midland area! =D